K-Pop's Paradox: Why BTS Fans Aren’t K-Pop Fans
A new report by economist Will Page and KreatorsNetwork’s JB Kim reveals that the five biggest K‑pop acts—BTS, BLACKPINK, K‑Pop Demon Hunters, Stray Kids and TWICE—accounted for about 45 % of global audio streams in 2025. This share far exceeds the top‑five concentration in country (19.9 %), rock (6.1 %) and Latin (6 %) music. The article attributes the imbalance to K‑pop’s idol‑centric business model, which fosters loyalty to individual groups rather than the genre. Consequently, BTS fans often do not explore other K‑pop artists, limiting broader genre growth.
Is There Ever a Good Time to Sell?
The article examines how music catalog values surge during major format shifts, citing The Offspring’s 2016 sale for $35 million that ballooned to roughly $140 million after streaming took off. It parallels the 1990s CD boom, where Motown’s label sold for $61 million...
Troy Carter on Why Suno Changes Everything
Troy Carter, former Spotify executive and early backer of Uber and Dropbox, praised Suno as the most consequential music technology ever, even surpassing radio and the phonograph. He argued that generative AI platforms like Suno equalize the playing field by...
SoundCloud's Big Bet for the AI Era
SoundCloud CEO Eliah Seton outlined how the streaming platform is leveraging artificial intelligence to boost artist discovery and fan engagement. The company’s AI tools analyze new music and listener habits to expand an emerging artist’s audience from a few thousand...
Talent Agencies: Who Leads the Next Era?
Talent agencies are increasingly leveraging high‑margin brand and marketing partnerships to outpace traditional commission‑based talent representation. Landmark deals such as CAA’s 1991 Coca‑Cola consulting contract demonstrated the profitability of corporate collaborations, a model now replicated by agencies with partners like...
Can AI Music Creation Be a Real Growth Market?
AI music creation is emerging as a niche yet rapidly scaling market, highlighted by Suno’s 2 million paid subscribers and roughly $300 million in annual recurring revenue. The sector is divided into five segments: professional musician tools, novelty personal tracks, production‑music licensing,...
Private Investors Love Music. Why Doesn't Wall Street?
Private investors are increasingly targeting music rights, creating demand that outstrips supply. Publicly traded music companies like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Reservoir Media trade at significant discounts to the estimated value of their catalogs. The gap stems...
Is The Sphere... A Good Business?
Sphere Entertainment reported a profitable 2023, but earnings relied on debt restructuring rather than operational cash flow. The Las Vegas‑based immersive venue generated $1.2 billion in 2024 revenue, giving it a 2.1× enterprise‑value multiple of roughly $2.5 billion. Analysts struggle to find...
Follow The Money: EVEN, Duetti, and The New Deal Stack
In this episode of Follow The Money, host discusses how two music‑tech companies—EVEN, a direct‑to‑consumer platform for artists, and Duetti, a music‑rights investment platform—have built scalable infrastructure by first serving the long‑tail of independent musicians before moving upmarket to major...