Music News

Photo Credit: Rod Stewart by Joe Bielawa / CC by 2.0 Rod Stewart postpones his performance at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace four hours before showtime due to an unnamed illness. Sir Rod Stewart called in sick just four hours before he was scheduled to hit the stage at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Sunday night. The 80-year-old rock and roll legend posted to his Instagram Stories to give fans the news, while Caesars Palace also confirmed the postponement. “I am sorry to inf

The Baroeg, a Rotterdam venue and Stager client. Photo Credit: Emvee On the heels of a partnership announcement involving Amsterdam-headquartered Eventix (now Weeztix) and Spotify, Rotterdam’s Stager has scored an integration deal of its own. 13-year-old Stager, which bills itself as an “all-in-one tool for event organizers,” took to LinkedIn to disclose its Spotify tie-up. Besides dealing in ticketing, the former business develops event-planning software, marketing tools, and more, according

U2 bassist Adam Clayton, who has an interest in the just-sold ROXi music video service. Photo Credit: U2start Self-described “music video streaming service” ROXi has officially sold in a “management buyout,” with multiple broadcasters and U2 bassist Adam Clayton among its stakeholders. Reps for London-based ROXi reached out with word of the deal, executed via a new company called FastStream Interactive. All told, ROXi/FastStream says it’s drawn support from north of 100 “major” backers thus f

Snoop Dogg, who seems to have put his Spotify dispute in the rearview. Photo Credit: gcardinal Just in time for today’s release of a surprise album entitled Iz It a Crime?, Snoop Dogg looks to have put his long-running Spotify dispute to rest. The most immediate example of that resolution can be found in the widespread streaming availability of Iz It a Crime?. As many will recall, Snoop Dogg in late February released “Spaceship Party” solely via Tune.fm after levying royalties-related critici

Photo Credit: DLXMedia.hu RØDE parent The Freedman Group has announced the acquisition of Lectrosonics, a U.S. based pioneer in high-end wireless audio systems. Founded in 1971, Lectrosonics’ UHF wireless systems are used in film, broadcast, and theater applications. The company’s Digital Hybrid Wireless technology earned an Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement in 2017. This move marks a significant expansion of Freedman Group’s global footprint and manufacturing capabilities

Photo Credit: Yo-Yo Ma by Joi Ito / CC by 2.0 Amid continued cost-cutting at major labels, whispers emerge of Sony Classical enacting mass layoffs. As major labels continue their onslaught of cost-cutting endeavors, classical music news site Slipped Disc reports whispers of mass layoffs at Sony Classical. “People we’ve tried to contact are no longer there,” writes Norman Lebrecht. “Among them is the boxed-set reissue specialist Robert Russ at the company’s headquarters in Berlin.” “Our mole

Photo Credit: Spotify Spotify unveiled major advertising updates at its Spotify Advance event in NYC earlier this month. The detailed changes led to online speculation that Spotify Premium members would begin receiving advertisements—sparking calls for cancelation if that happens. Spotify has flatly denied the rumor. Spotify Advance detailed several new changes to how Spotify will deliver ads on the audio platform. They include a new programmatic marketplace that enables real-time bidding for

Photo Credit: Epic Games Pop star Sabrina Carpenter lands in Fortnite for Fortnite Festival Season 8, launching April 8 with loads of in-game cosmetics, jam tracks, and emotes. Epic Games loves to blur the lines between gaming and music, and Fortnite’s Sabrina Carpenter debut is no exception. Fortnite Festival Season 8 launches on April 8, complete with two Sabrina Carpenter outfits, two new emotes, three jam tracks, and lots of sparkly accessories. Players can access the main Sabrina Carpent

Photo Credit: David Burke / CC by 2.0 Salt-N-Pepa is suing Universal Music Group for the rights to their catalog, claiming the label is holding their music hostage. Cheryl James and Sandra Denton of the legendary hip-hop group Salt-N-Pepa are suing Universal Music Group (UMG) for the rights to their catalog, which includes hits like “Push It,” “Shoop,” and “Whatta Man” featuring En Vogue. The duo claim the label is holding their music “hostage” and will not acquiesce to their request to invoke

A pair of headphones from Bowers & Wilkins, one of the Sound United brands that’s set to become part of Samsung’s Harman International thanks to a newly announced acqusition agreement. Photo Credit: Evgeniy Bezkorovayniy A little over three years after acquiring Sound United, medical tech company Masimo Corporation is offloading its consumer audio unit in a $350 million deal with Samsung’s Harman International. Irvine-headquartered Masimo, having previously kicked off a strategic review o

Photo Credit: Scooter Braun and Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def Recordings enters a distribution partnership with Hybe America, led by Scooter Braun. The agreement sees Hybe distribute So So Def’s catalog while the two work together on releases for upcoming talent. Since the 1990s, Dupri and So So Def have worked with stars like Mariah Carey, Usher, Nelly, Xscape, Bow Wow, and Jagged Edge. Dupri also notably mentored Braun when he entered the music industry over 20 years ago. “Every

Photo Credit: Extra TV Sean “Diddy” Combs paid a hotel security officer $100K to hand over surveillance footage showing the hip-hop mogul attacking his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, the officer testified at Combs’ federal trial. Eddy Garcia, who worked as a security officer at an Intercontinental hotel, told jurors that Diddy bribed him to hand over surveillance footage showing the star brutally attacking then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Garcia testified on Tuesday in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ongo

Photo Credit: Ashley King (StubHub website) With Ticketmaster offering all-in pricing on its website and mobile apps, both secondary ticketing marketplaces SeatGeek and StubHub have done the same. The move among ticketing platforms was driven by new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations and mounting consumer frustration at ticket prices. Research has revealed that up to 50% of abandoned purchases from consumers are the result of hidden fees only disclosed at checkout. Ticketmaster’s adopt

Moments after a court ruled to leave in place an injunction blocking NewJeans’ solo career activities, the group appealed to the Seoul High Court. Photo Credit: SBS Radio A Seoul court has upheld an injunction blocking NewJeans members from engaging in professional activities without Ador’s involvement. And right on cue, the group has kicked off a High Court appeal. Both developments came to light in regional reports today. By now, many are familiar with the uglier-than-ever contract dispute

Photo Credit: Allan Pimenta Following performances at both Coachella and Stagecoach, country music icon Shaboozey is hitting the road with ‘The Great American Roadshow’ tour. The tour kicks off on September 22 in Indianapolis, IN before heading across North America for shows in Philadelphia, Nashville, Houston, and more. The Great American Roadshow Tour is supported by Coors Light and Jack Daniels. Shaboozey recently announced he joined the Coors Light’s Chill on Shuffle program, bringing more

Photo Credit: Live Nation / Capital Pride Alliance Shakira cancellations are piling up with yet another show this week. Complications prevented her team from getting her set in Washington, D.C. ready in time. Colombian singer Shakira was scheduled to perform at Fenway Park in Boston on May 29 and May 30, but was forced to cancel just hours before showtime on Thursday due to production issues. Then, Shakira was slated to perform on May 31 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., for World Pride 2

Photo Credit: Cottonbro Studios When it comes to Shamrock Capital’s Taylor Swift recorded catalog acquisition, let’s be honest: it didn’t even seem like a good idea at the time. But is there more frothy fallout ahead when it comes to music IP? Dialing back to late 2020, the collective head-scratching elevated when Shamrock Capital swooped in to buy Taylor Swift’s first six album masters for $300 million. The seller was none other than Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, who dropped the sullied as

Photo Credit: Aftershock Aftershock has announced a new live concert event with Shaquille O’Neal aka DJ Diesel. Shaq is bringing his Bass All-Stars show to the Rawhide Event Center in Chandler, Arizona. The event kicks off on August 16, with Shaq’s Bass All-Stars delivering an anticipated onslaught of dubstep, house, trap, and hip-hop across the line-up. The line-up so far includes DJ Diesel, Ghastly presents GHENGAR, Jykl & Hyde, RZRKT B2B CELO, and a special guest still to be announced.

Photo Credit: Shazam Shazam announces the launch of the Shazam Viral Charts, leveraging the platform’s data to offer a comprehensive view of today’s fastest-growing songs. Shazam has revealed its new Shazam Viral Charts, utilizing the platform’s powerful data to provide a comprehensive view of the fastest-growing songs in action. Updated daily on Shazam and Apple Music, the chart uses signals unique to Shazam to surface songs going viral in real time, then ranks songs by their weekly growth in

Photo Credit: Weezer by Hunter Kahn / CC by 4.0 Weezer is still playing Coachella this weekend despite bassist Scott Shriner’s wife Jillian pointing a gun at and getting shot by police this week. Police shot Weezer bassist Scott Shriner’s wife Jillian on Tuesday while in pursuit of three suspects who fled on foot during a hit and run. The suspects made their way to Shriner’s neighborhood, where 51-year-old Jillian Shriner confronted police outside her neighbor’s house, armed with a handgun. A

Photo Credit: Jill Sobule for Uncensored Interview / CC by 2.0 Jill Sobule, whose 1995 song “I Kissed a Girl” is widely known as the first openly gay track to hit the Billboard Top 20, has died in a house fire. She was 66. Singer-songwriter and activist Jill Sobule was best known for her 1995 track “I Kissed a Girl,” widely considered the first openly gay-themed song to hit the Billboard Top 20. The 66-year-old Sobule died in a Minneapolis house fire on Thursday morning. Sobule was scheduled

SiriusXM has posted its Q1 2025 financials, including a revenue dip, and reiterated its full-year guidance. Photo Credit: SiriusXM SiriusXM has reported small revenue and net income decreases for Q1 2025, when its satellite radio subscribers dipped from the same period in 2024. Nevertheless, execs have reiterated their full-year guidance. The savings-minded company shed light on its first-quarter showing today, pointing to almost $2.07 billion in revenue for the three-month stretch. Down abou

Etsy has inked a Reverb sale agreement with Creator Partners and Servco. Photo Credit: Oberon Copeland Almost six years after acquiring Reverb, Etsy (NASDAQ: ETSY) is selling the instruments marketplace to Fender investors Creator Partners and Servco Pacific. Reverb reached out with a formal announcement about its sale – and its return to private ownership – this morning. Meanwhile, Etsy confirmed the divestment in a regulatory disclosure, chalking up the move to a “focus on driving growth in

Photo Credit: Frances Gladney and Smokey Robinson by Gage Skidmore / CC by 2.0 A criminal investigation has been launched into the sexual assault allegations against Smokey Robinson in a lawsuit filed by his former housekeepers. Legendary singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson was sued last week by former employees who allege assault, sexual battery, and false imprisonment. The four Jane Does, who worked for the singer between 2006 and 2024, filed a lawsuit against the Motown legend and his wife Fr

Photo Credit: Frances Gladney and Smokey Robinson by Gage Skidmore / CC by 2.0 Smokey Robinson says he is ‘appalled’ over the claims he sexually assaulted multiple housekeepers, who are now suing him. Motown legend Smokey Robinson is staunchly denying the sexual assault allegations made against him by four former housekeepers. Robinson’s attorney, Christopher Frost, released a statement on behalf of his client, calling the claims an effort to extort money from the singer. Robinson was accused