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 move comes amid a wave of senior‑level appointments and strategic acquisitions that signal SMP’s push to modernize its royalty infrastructure. These changes reinforce the company’s commitment to supporting songwriters with faster, more precise payments.
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...
Heather Vassar Appointed Senior Vice President, Nashville at The Orchard
The Orchard has named Heather Vassar as Senior Vice President of its Nashville division, bringing over a decade of leadership experience from her tenure at EMPIRE where she launched and grew its Nashville arm. Vassar’s track record includes multiple Billboard...
Sony Music Acquires Nordic Dance Label One Seven Music, Taps Co-Founder Janus Barnewitz as New MD of Sony Music Denmark
Sony Music Entertainment has acquired the Nordic dance label One Seven Music and appointed its co‑founder Janus Barnewitz as Managing Director of Sony Music Denmark. The deal builds on a 14‑year partnership, though financial terms were not disclosed. Barnewitz, who previously led disco:wax...
France’s Recorded Music Revenues Hit $1.21B in 2025, up 3.9% YoY; Subscription Streaming Revenues Grew 5.9% YoY
France’s recorded‑music market generated €1.071 billion (≈ $1.21 billion) in 2025, a 3.9% year‑over‑year increase and the tenth consecutive year of growth. Streaming remained dominant, with total streaming revenues surpassing €700 million ($794 million) and paid‑subscription revenue rising 5.9% to €553 million ($625 million). Vinyl sales surged...
Live Nation Invests in Romania’s Emagic and Slovakia’s Vivien as It Expands Central and Eastern European Footprint
Live Nation announced strategic investments in Romania’s Emagic and Slovakia’s Vivien, bolstering its presence across Central and Eastern Europe. The moves aim to increase local concert capacity, reduce fan travel, and tap into a market where nearly half of music...
Confirmed: Primary Wave Music to Acquire Kobalt From Francisco Partners
Primary Wave Music has agreed to acquire Kobalt, a leading independent publishing and technology platform, in a deal valued at over $1.5 billion. Brookfield will co‑invest, reinforcing a partnership that began with a $2 billion funding arrangement in 2022. Kobalt will stay...
Sony Music Has Targeted 135,000+ Deepfakes of Its Artists’ Music for Removal From Streaming Platforms
Sony Music has identified over 135,000 AI‑generated deepfake songs impersonating artists on its roster and is urging streaming platforms to remove them. The deepfakes, which include tracks attributed to Beyoncé, Queen and Harry Styles, represent only a fraction of the...
Recorded Music Revenues in Italy Grew +10.7% YoY Last Year; Paid Streaming Revenues in the Market Jumped 14.1% YoY
Italy’s recorded‑music market posted $579 million in 2025 revenues, up 10.7% year‑on‑year, driven primarily by a 14.1% surge in paid‑subscription streaming that now accounts for 69% of streaming income. Total streaming revenue reached €340 million, while physical sales jumped 21.9% with vinyl...
Subscription Music Streaming Revenues Rose Just 2% YoY in Sweden in 2025
Sweden’s recorded‑music market expanded 3% in 2025, reaching over SEK 2.3 billion, with paid‑subscription streaming shouldering most growth. Subscription‑based audio streaming generated SEK 1.95 billion, representing 85% of total music revenue and rising 2% year‑on‑year. Ad‑supported streaming increased 9% to SEK 124.3 million, while digital downloads...
Janet Jackson Signs Global Deal with Believe Music Publishing
Janet Jackson has signed a long‑term global publishing administration agreement with Believe Music Publishing, transferring her entire songwriting catalog to the newly launched division. The deal, announced on March 19, 2026, adds a high‑profile legacy catalog to Believe’s portfolio, which...
Instrument Maker Roland Launches AI Melody Generator Powered by Research From Sony Computer Science Laboratories
Japanese instrument maker Roland has unveiled Melody Flip, an AI‑powered melody‑generation plug‑in for major digital audio workstations. Developed with Sony Computer Science Laboratories, the software analyzes an imported track’s musical DNA and offers melodic, chord, bass and drum suggestions drawn from...
Tencent Music Now Has 20M+ ‘Super VIP’ Subscribers. Here’s What that Means for China’s Largest Music Streamer.
Tencent Music Entertainment (TME) announced that its Super VIP (SVIP) tier surpassed 20 million subscribers at the end of 2025, up from 15 million in Q2 2025 and 10 million a year earlier. SVIP now accounts for roughly 15.7% of TME’s 127.4 million paying...
In Latest Move in India, Universal Music Forms Exclusive Partnership with Albuquerque Records, the New Label From Singer and Composer...
Universal Music India has signed an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the new label founded by celebrated South Indian composer Anirudh Ravichander. The agreement will see both parties co‑release pop and hip‑hop tracks from Anirudh and emerging artists signed to...
Matt Young Named CEO of UMG’s Bravado, as Dan Goldberg and Eric Mackay Join Amy Zaglauer & Rachel Redfearn on...
Universal Music Group’s Bravado division has promoted President Matt Young to CEO, reinforcing its senior leadership with new hires across strategy, digital, and artist services. The team now includes Eric Mackay as General Manager, Dan Goldberg as SVP of Strategy...
Trump Administration to Receive $10B Fee for Its Role in US TikTok Deal (Report)
The Trump administration will receive roughly $10 billion from investors who acquired TikTok’s U.S. operations, a fee‑plus arrangement reported by the Wall Street Journal. Investors initially paid $2.5 billion to the Treasury when the deal closed in January, but the larger payment...
Alibaba Wants to Be a Global Ticketing Player — Starting with Malaysia Tour Stop for Chinese Rap Superstar GAI
Alibaba’s live‑entertainment arm, through its ticketing platform MAISEAT, landed its first primary ticketing contract outside China for Chinese rap star GAI’s concert in Kuala Lumpur. The presale tickets sold out within days, underscoring strong demand for cross‑border events. MAISEAT, part...
From Chance the Rapper’s Courtroom Revelations to Live Nation’s DOJ Settlement… It’s MBW’s Weekly Round-Up
This week’s Music Business Worldwide roundup highlighted five major developments. A Chicago court hearing revealed key details in Chance the Rapper’s $3.8 million commission dispute with former manager Patrick Corcoran. Concord expanded its European reach by acquiring London‑based indie label Ninja Tune,...
MBW Just Launched Music Business Worldwide Magazine. Have You Subscribed Yet?
Music Business Worldwide has introduced its first print and digital publication, MBW Magazine, rolling out six issues per year from California. The inaugural volume features high‑profile interviews with industry figures who have driven billion‑dollar deals, K‑pop transformations, and major publishing...
Slipstream Acquires Hollywood Production Music Library Megatrax, Adding 200,000 Tracks to Its Catalog
Production music platform Slipstream has acquired Los Angeles‑based library Megatrax, adding over 200,000 tracks to its catalog and establishing a direct sales operation in Latin America. The deal, financed by Pollen Street Capital, expands Slipstream’s total catalog to more than...
The Problem with AI Companies ‘Starting Fresh’.
The article warns that AI music platforms have built their models on unlicensed recordings, especially from independent artists, and are now proposing “walled‑garden” licensing schemes with major labels. While Warner has struck a dual‑use deal, Suno and other firms reject...
Concord Acquires UK-Based Indie Label Ninja Tune Records
Concord announced the acquisition of London‑based independent label Ninja Tune, bringing both its recorded‑music catalog and publishing arm Just Isn’t Music under Concord’s umbrella. The deal adds a roster that includes The Prodigy, Bonobo, Flying Lotus and many other electronic...
Future Islands Sign Exclusive Global Deal with Universal Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group has signed Baltimore synth‑pop band Future Islands to an exclusive global publishing deal covering their back catalogue and future works. The agreement coincides with the band’s 20th anniversary and the UK Top 10 entry of their 2024...
Venu Secures $86M in Oversubscribed Public Offering, CEO Says: ‘We Just Raised a Ton of Money.’
Venu Holding announced an $86 million oversubscribed public equity offering, selling 18.75 million shares at $4 each and adding warrants for additional purchases. The capital will fund new venues in Texas and Oklahoma, repay a $4.35 million promissory note, and support working capital....
Warner Music Group Signs New $1.645bn Credit Agreement with JPMorgan, Refinancing Existing Debt
Warner Music Group’s subsidiary WMG Acquisition Corp. has secured a $1.645 billion credit agreement with JPMorgan, consolidating its fragmented 2012‑era debt into a single package. The deal includes a $1.295 billion term loan to retire existing term‑loan obligations and a $350 million revolving...
Dionne Warwick Sues Rights Company over Alleged ‘Pilfering of Millions’ in Royalty Income
Dionne Warwick has filed counterclaims against Artists Rights Enforcement Corporation (AREC) in the Southern District of New York, accusing the firm of siphoning millions of dollars in royalty income over a 23‑year relationship. Warwick seeks at least $1 million in punitive...
‘Creating Superfans Requires Emotional Thinking, Not Just Analytics.’
Universal Music Group’s CEO Lucian Grainge highlighted superfans as a massively under‑monetized segment, noting the company’s 1,600 direct‑to‑consumer stores now generate hundreds of millions in revenue. Goldman Sachs projects the superfan opportunity to reach $4.3 billion annually by 2026, while Luminate...
The MLC and Pandora Clash in Opposition Briefs as Mechanical Royalties Battle Nears Decisive Stage
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) and Pandora Media have each filed opposition briefs in their ongoing lawsuit over whether Pandora’s ad‑supported “Pandora Free” service should be treated as an interactive service subject to mechanical royalties. The MLC argues that three...
Hari Nair to Exit as CEO of India’s Tips Music
Hari Nair will step down as CEO of publicly listed Tips Music on April 30, ending a 17‑month tenure that began in September 2023. During his time, Nair steered the company toward a software‑led, data‑first digital model and delivered consistent...
Reservoir Strikes Worldwide Publishing Admin Deal with Hans Zimmer, Expanding Relationship with Academy Award-Winning Composer
Reservoir Media announced a worldwide publishing‑administration agreement with Academy‑Award‑winning composer Hans Zimmer, giving the company control over his extensive catalog through Remote Control Publishing. Zimmer’s body of work spans more than 200 projects and has generated over $30 billion in global box‑office...
Edward Matthew Named VP, International A&R and Head of Creative for Scandinavia at Warner Chappell
Warner Chappell Music has appointed Edward Matthew as Vice President of International A&R and Head of Creative for Scandinavia, operating from Stockholm and reporting to Shani Gonzales and Lars Karlsson. Matthew, founder of the Stockholm‑based Lilly Raye Music, has partnered with Warner Chappell since 2019, with...
GEMA Vs. Suno: German Court Hears Landmark AI Music Copyright Case
Germany’s collecting society GEMA sued AI music generator Suno, alleging the platform trained on and reproduced copyrighted recordings without permission. The Munich court heard oral arguments on March 9 and set a decision date for June 12, 2026. The case follows GEMA’s earlier...
AEG International Global Partnerships Strengthens Leadership Team with Key Promotions
AEG International has promoted nine executives within its Global Partnerships division, elevating three to Senior Vice President and six to Vice President roles. The promotions aim to strengthen partner experience, improve global alignment, and support the company’s expanding sponsorship and...