Music News

The heated debate over the controversial Spotify stream minimum is showing few signs of resolving. Photo Credit: Shutter Speed Let the debate over Spotify’s 1,000-stream royalties threshold continue: A distribution exec is firing back against the service’s defense of the controversial minimum. As many know, that much-criticized model went into effect at the behest of the majors last year. Now, audio uploads must rack up 1,000 annual streams on Spotify in order to accrue recording royalties.

Photo Credit: Live Nation Lil Wayne announces his first-ever headlining show at Madison Square Garden on June 6. The performance coincides with the release of his latest album, Tha Carter VI. For the first time, Lil Wayne will headline New York’s Madison Square Garden in a special performance on Friday, June 6. The show celebrates and coincides with the release of the rapper’s highly anticipated new album, Tha Carter VI. Tha Carter VI is the follow-up to Wayne’s 2020 release, Funeral, and the

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: Mike Mushok by Craig Noce / CC by 3.0 Staind guitarist Mike Mushok says he’s never received a royalty payment from Atlantic Records — but the band did receive “large advances.” Staind guitarist Mike Mushok sat down for an interview on The KiddChris Show, which airs on the WEBN station in Cincinnati. There, he weighed in on Chevelle frontman Pete Loeffler’s 2021 claim that the band hadn’t received any money from record sales despite selling six million albums for Epic Records. It

Photo Credit: YouTube Music Google is working to close the feature gap between YouTube Music and its most popular rivals—Spotify and Apple Music. Now you can directly share lyrics from the YouTube Music app. Here’s how. Lyric sharing is a feature that has long been available on Spotify and Apple Music, making it possible to share pertinent lyrics on social media and elsewhere. Not only does this help with music discovery among influencers’ fans, but it also raises awareness of the music servic

Photo Credit: Bluefest Australia’s Bluefest 2025 drew a record 109,000 attendees—the third-highest in its history. It’s also the largest attendance record for any Australian festival since the pandemic. Despite organizers’ stating ‘festivals are back’, the live music scene in Australia is still struggling. Bluefest’s success has been attributed to its loyal fan base and due to the fact that the festival was marketed as potentially the last Bluefest—driving ticket sales. A look at the data show

Hayashi International Promotions head Kaori Hayashi, whose company has sold to Live Nation. Photo Credit: Live Nation Live Nation’s aggressive international buildout has officially reached Japan, where the promoter has acquired Hayashi International Promotions (HIP). The Ticketmaster parent announced its newest buyout in a brief release. Founded some four decades back and currently led by the namesake Kaori Hayashi, Hayashi International has, of course, organized concert series for a variety

Photo Credit: Karol G by La Prensa Gráfica Noticias de El Salvador / CC by 3.0 Karol G launches the trailer for her Netflix documentary feature, “Karol G: Tomorrow Was Beautiful,” releasing on May 8 from director Cristina Constantini. After wrapping up her Mañana Será Bonito World Tour last summer, Colombian superstar Karol G has hardly slowed down. The trailer for her upcoming Netflix documentary feature launched today, alongside an official release date: May 8. A documentary from This Machi

Following an extraordinary 2024, where they dazzled audiences as the supporting act for Kylie Minogue at British Summer Time Hyde Park and furthermore clinching the prestigious Samsung Rising Star award at Glamour’s Women of the Year awards. The rising girl band Say Now will raise the excitement even further in 2025. They made significant strides as the opening act for Omar Rudberg‘s “Every Night Fantasy UK tour” in February 2025. Now, as they gear up for their highly anticipated headline perfor

Photo Credit: Lil Durk by Daniel X. O’Neil Lil Durk and his legal team are looking to get his murder-for-hire case tossed, claiming prosecutors have misled the jury about the facts of the case. Chicago rapper Lil Durk is accused of being the mastermind behind the 2022 attempted murder of Quando Rondo by putting a bounty on his head in revenge for the death of King Von. He has been behind bars since his arrest in October and has been denied bail, despite his attorneys proposing a bond package o

Photo Credit: Rajiv Perera Just says after Fyre Festival 2 was ‘postponed’ and all tickets refunded, the Fyre Festival name has been licensed to a media entrepreneur for a new streaming service. Fyre Music Streaming Ventures LLC was officially formed in the state of Ohio. The new company will be spearheaded by Shawn Rech, President & Co-Founder of Chris Hansen’s TruBlu Crime Network. Rech says he has spent years seeking the right partners and platform to bring a truly fan-curated music net

SoundExchange president and CEO Michael Huppe. Photo Credit: SoundExchange Ahead of related CRB Web VI hearings, SoundExchange and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) have unveiled a rates agreement covering 2026 through 2030.    SoundExchange and the radio rep just recently put out a joint release about the deal, which was actually finalized closer to April’s beginning. Meanwhile, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) set the overarching Web VI wheels in motion early last year. Unsurp

Snoop Dogg at WrestleMania XL. Photo Credit: Diego Serrano Snoop Dogg and Death Row Records are looking to dismiss the $107 million lawsuit filed by Lydia Harris, who they say should also be barred from litigating against them moving forward. Counsel for Snoop Dogg and the relevant label just recently made the dismissal push official. Meanwhile, Universal Music, Jimmy Iovine, and several others are likewise defendants in the pro se complaint. We broke down that complaint when it was filed –

A couple of years ago, the Aeroband guitar was released. It’s not a standard guitar, but it’s not really a ‘toy’ either. It sits somewhere in between those two product types.  I’ve been spending some time with the Aeroband Guitar, and while it’s not a replacement for a traditional guitar, it’s a surprisingly fun and useful gadget to have around. If you’re a guitarist who travels a lot or likes to mess around with new music tech, this thing delivers. Disclosure:  I was sent a free Aeroband Gui

Photo Credit: WWE Cardi B announces during WWE SmackDown that she will host the two-night WWE SummerSlam paid live event in August. Several musicians, such as Bad Bunny and Travis Scott, have appeared in WWE programming within the last year. Now, another rapper, Cardi B, will be hosting WWE’s SummerSlam later this year. During last week’s WWE SmackDown, Cardi B announced in a video that she will host the two-night event in August. “What’s up, WWE Universe? Guess what? SummerSlam, MetLife, two

Photo Credit: Kneecap.ie Coachella organizers Goldenvoice and AEG are facing backlash from Jewish groups for the Irish rap group Kneecap’s performance during both weekends. The performances came with anti-Israeli messaging and criticized the U.S. support of Israel. Kneecap’s first weekend performance was cut from the Coachella livestream. Coachella organizers appeared to respond by not broadcasting any acts from the Sonora tent during the second weekend on the livestream. Kneecap claimed they

Photo Credit: Coachella Coachella’s 2025 edition just wrapped up, and festival organizers have wasted no time in announcing the event’s 2026 edition. The 2025 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival just finished up its second weekend, and it’s already time to look toward next year’s edition. The first weekend of Coachella’s 2026 edition is set for Friday, April 10, through Sunday, April 12. Meanwhile, the second weekend takes place from Friday, April 17, through Sunday, April

Photo Credit: Ashley King / YouTube The landscape of late night television has long served as a critical launchpad for artists seeking mainstream exposure. But the golden era of musical bookings moving the discovery needle is undeniably in decline—for a variety of reasons. A new report from Consequence highlights how musical bookings have become less common after the pandemic and the SAG-AFTRA strikes—but also due to host direction. Ten years ago, late night TV was a must-stop for new music ac

Morgan Stanley and others are bullish on Spotify stock ahead of the company’s Q1 2025 earnings report. Photo Credit: Sven Piper Despite being up nearly 25% on the year, Spotify stock (NYSE: SPOT) is poised to climb higher – at least according to a pair of new projections. As things stand, Spotify stock is hovering around $568 per share, reflecting the mentioned boost from 2025’s beginning and a 109% surge from the same point in April 2024. Nevertheless, SPOT is down on the month and remains $8

The Knocks & Dragonette are meticulously crafting their upcoming “Revelation” album project, while leaving nothing to chance. With the release of their latest single “Dreams,” the roll-out now boasts an impressive four tracks. In line with the already explosive offerings of “Foolish Pleasure,” “The Hero,” and “Revelation“. “Dreams” elevates the era with its captivating synth-hued dance-pop vibes, promising a standout hit. This powerful collaboration is above all shaping up to be a defining m

Since its birth in 1987, SXSW has grown into one of the largest of its kind — attracting thousands of visitors each year. Attendance was noticeably down at SXSW 2025, but in 2026, SXSW attendees may have an entirely different experience in store. SXSW 2026 is planning to go big with format changes. For those trekking to SXSW this year, crowds were noticeably thinner. But that didn’t dilute the experience — in fact, many actually appreciated the extra elbow room. Starting with the tech expo that

Photo Credit: Danny Howe Australia’s festival sector is suffering more than most, so the Australian Greens have announced a $20 million annual Festivals Support Package. Between rising insurance costs, climate impacts, and reduced consumer spending, Australia’s festival circuit is suffering even more than those worldwide. But the Australian Greens have announced a $20 million (12.8 million USD) annual Festival Support Package designed to strengthen and stabilize the country’s live events secto

Photo Credit: Kendrick Lamar by Kenny Sun / CC by 2.0 Certain Drake disses were omitted from Kendrick Lamar’s track “Euphoria,” Top Dawg President Terrence “Punch” Henderson reveals. In an in-depth, three-hour-plus interview with Curtiss King, Top Dawg Entertainment President Terrence “Punch” Henderson confirmed that Kendrick Lamar’s song “Euphoria” initially contained more jabs at his nemesis, Drake. The seemingly more damaging version of the song, which was released in response to Drake’s “P

Photo Credit: @alung1999 on YouTube Lady Gaga’s set at Coachella’s Weekend 2 hit some mic issues, but she powered through with style: “At least you know I sing live,” she told the crowd. Lady Gaga’s epic Coachella 2025 set was briefly hit with a snag when her mic began glitching during “Abracadabra,” her second song of the night, but the 14-time Grammy winner powered through with her choreography. Soon, the star re-emerged with a working mic. “I’m sorry my mic was broken for a second,” she to

Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Photo Credit: Maxpower2727 TikTok could operate out of South Dakota if its U.S. sale closes – at least according to numerous reports coming from the Mount Rushmore State. Local outlets covered the interesting possibility on the heels of a related Facebook post from South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden. While it probably goes without saying, the outcome hinges on (among other things – more on this in a moment) TikTok actually selling its stateside operations. At prese