Music News

Photo Credit: Troy T The creation and delivery of music to audiences requires collaboration between a variety of creative individuals and businesses, including songwriters, music publishers, performers, producers, and record labels. All of these creative individuals and many others play an important role in crafting and bringing music to audiences, and it’s important that each understands and appreciates their rights under U.S. copyright law. This three-part series explores those rights by disc

In Part I of our Understanding Copyright in Music series, we explored the different types of works and copyright rights in music. In Part II we’ll discuss different types of music licenses. There are many kinds of music licenses. What and how you license will depend on the type of work you are licensing—whether it is a musical work or sound recording (or both)—and what kinds of uses you are allowing the licensee to do with your work. Below is a list of several types of music licenses and how th

Photo Credit: Wesley Tingey Part I of this article discussed the different type of works and copyright rights in music. In Part II, we discussed different types of music licenses. In this final part of the article, we’ll discuss what happens when someone does not have a license to use the musical work or sound recording and the use is not otherwise allowed by the law. This is known as copyright infringement. When is a Musical Work or Sound Recording Infringed? Anyone who, without the authoriz

Photo Credit: taylordabrat / reddit Universal Music Group has motioned to dismiss Drake’s amended defamation lawsuit. The label calls the action ‘legal blather’ and insists the nature of rap battles would forever be changed should the lawsuit proceed. UMG says Drake’s claims in the amended complaint are “astonishing” and that Drake’s lawsuit is an attack on the commercial and creative success of the artist who defeated him in a rap battle, “rather than the content of Lamar’s lyrics.” Drake arg

A live performance from Yuja Wang, who’s signed on as an artistic advisor at the newly launched Deutsche Grammophon China. Photo Credit: Quincena Musical Universal Music Group’s aggressive China expansion isn’t slowing down, as the major has officially brought Deutsche Grammophon and Blue Note to the nation of 1.4 billion. Universal Music Greater China today announced (and hosted a launch event for) Deutsche Grammophon China (DGC) as well as Blue Note Records China (BNRC). Both imprints will

Universal Music Group is firing back against the copyright-recapture lawsuit filed by Salt-N-Pepa. Photo Credit: David Burke Let the copyright-recapture battle intensify: Universal Music is firing back against Salt-N-Pepa’s newly submitted lawsuit. Meanwhile, the hip-hop group has redacted sensitive details from its action. We broke down the straightforward-enough suit at length moments after its filing. Long story short, Section 203 of the Copyright Act is said to allow certain entertainment

Photo Credit: Apple Music Apple Music teams up with Universal Music Group to introduce Sound Therapy, an audio wellness collection to help listeners relax, focus, or sleep. Available exclusively on Apple Music, Sound Therapy is designed to blend songs subscribers already know and love with special sound waves made to enhance users’ daily routines, while retaining the artist’s original vision. Backed by research and powered by Universal Music Group’s (UMG) proprietary audio tech, Sound Therapy

Photo Credit: MCA Universal Music Group Nashville enters a new era, rebranding as Music Corporation of America (MCA). Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced the next step for its Nashville operations: a new name. Universal Music Group Nashville has been rebranded to Music Corporation of America (MCA)—a name with a storied legacy. Under the leadership of President and CEO Mike Harris and Chief Creative Officer Dave Cobb, MCA enters a new era with a bold vision for Nashville’s future. The Mu

Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge. Photo Credit: UMG Is the streaming plateau over? A growth-minded Universal Music Group (UMG) generated $3.30 billion/€2.90 billion during 2025’s first quarter, when subscription revenue grew by 11.5% year over year. That’s according to the major label’s just-released Q1 earnings breakdown, which points to roughly $2.55 billion/€2.24 billion (up 12.7% YoY) in recorded revenue for the three-month stretch. As usual, the lion’s share of the sum ($1.83 bil

Photo Credit: Vevo the world’s largest music video network Vevo is focusing on a new suite of data-driven products for advanced targeting, optimization, and measurement of ads called ‘Vevo Evolve.’ Vevo Evolve will allow marketers to seamlessly plan, measure, and activate advertising campaigns on all Vevo inventory, including mobile, desktop and connected TVs. The product encompasses YouTube and Vevo’s free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) footprint. The move comes as free, ad-supported strea

Photo Credit: Konstantinos Hasandras Denver-based record club Vinyl Me, Please (VMP) has entered liquidation, leaving lots of vinyl fans in limbo. The boutique record subscription club was founded in 2012—but months of customer complaints about not receiving their orders have blossomed into a full-on bankruptcy proceeding. The company’s financial troubles reportedly accelerated after a failed attempt to build its own pressing plant, which included the controversial firing of three senior staff

VNYL’s Nick Alt and Emily Muhoberac, who have signed on as CEO and COO of Vinyl Me, Please, respectively. Photo Credit: Virginia Harold Less than one month after entering liquidation, Vinyl Me, Please (VMP) has officially found a new owner and relaunched with a “remastered mission.” The Denver-based vinyl-subscription club formally revealed the change of hands today. Now, Vinyl Me, Please is poised to keep on operating – albeit as a subsidiary of VNYL Inc., which operates a namesake vinyl subs

Vobile has officially announced a Pex buyout deal. Photo Credit: Pex Self-described IP protection, monetization, and marketing specialist Vobile has officially acquired Pex. Santa Clara-headquartered Vobile confirmed the buyout in a brief release today. Founded two decades back by Yangbin Wang (who doubles as CEO), the publicly traded business bills itself as “a worldwide leader in digital content protection and transaction services.” As things stand, the purchaser is said to provide digital

Photo Credit: “GigaPump” by g3ox_em Stockholm-based label Savage Roar and Warner Music launch a new Roblox music integration deal in collaboration with The Gang Studios. Savage Roar, a Stockholm-based label operating at the intersection of music and gaming, has announced its first major release written specifically for Roblox, “GigaPump” by g3ox_em. The track will be integrated as the primary soundtrack in two of Roblox’s most popular experiences: Strongman Simulator and Sumo Wrestling Simulat

Photo Credit: Crumbl Warner Music Group sues Crumbl Cookies for around $24 million, alleging copyright infringement on social media—including TikTok and Instagram. Warner Music Group (WMG) filed a complaint in a US District Court in Utah on Tuesday, April 22, alleging cookie chain Crumbl used at least 159 of WMG’s music in promotional videos posted to Instagram and TikTok. WMG says those works include recordings or compositions from artists and songwriters like Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Bruno Ma

Warner Music Group has reported a revenue dip for Q1 2025, when recorded subscription streaming revenue grew modestly and its ad-supported counterpart fell 5% YoY. Photo Credit: WMG Warner Music Group (WMG) has reported another quarterly revenue slip – this time for 2025’s opening three months, when the major label suffered a “market share loss in China.” WMG posted its financials for 2025’s first quarter (the fiscal second quarter) this morning, pointing to about $1.48 billion in overall reve

Warner Music has officially unveiled WMG Pulse, which is said to provide songwriters and artists with real-time consumption stats, royalty data, and more. Photo Credit: Warner Music Warner Music Group (WMG) is officially testing an app called WMG Pulse, which is said to provide artists and songwriters with real-time consumption data from streaming and social platforms. The major label disclosed its WMG Pulse beta today, pointing to north of 100 current users and plans for a wider rollout late

Warner Music Group is suing DSW for alleged copyright infringement on social media. Photo Credit: Anthony92931 Another day, another social-focused copyright lawsuit – this time from Warner Music, which is suing Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW) and others for allegedly infringing on protected works in hundreds of promo videos. Warner Music Group (WMG) submitted the straightforward action to an Ohio federal court, naming as defendants the mentioned DSW, Topo Athletic, and their Columbus-headquarte

Photo Credit: Nicholas Green Superfan apps like Weverse (HYBE) and the freshly-launched Berriz (Kakao Entertainment) have become critical tools for K-pop labels — helping transform fan engagement into scalable revenue streams while addressing core industry challenges along the way. Now, it looks like Warner Music’s superfan app is getting off its starting blocks. Traditional streaming economics often fail to capture the full financial potential of highly engaged ‘superfans’—those who drive mus

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

Last year at the Paris Olympics, the innovative French artist Christine and the Queens teamed up with Cerrone, the godfather of French disco. Their collaboration brought a reimagined performance of Cerrone’s classic track “Supernature” to life in front of the iconic Arc de Triomphe. This partnership has proven to be more than just a one-time event. Namely, since these talented artists plan to capitalize on their musical chemistry by releasing an upcoming 4-track EP filled with fresh material. Th

Following the enormous success of their 2024 Tears and Gearz tour, which captivated audiences across the USA, Canada, and the UK, it was only a matter of time before Bentley Robles and Zee Machine took their creative journey to the next level as a duo. They strongly hinted at this ambition with their recent track, “Lock Me Up!” released in February. As summer approaches, excitement builds around Tears & Gearz as these talented collaborators officially unveil “Delusional,” marking the launch

I know that pop culture icon Paris Hilton released her highly anticipated sophomore album “Infinite Icon” last year. Yet, I haven’t discussed it on the blog until now. However, I was captivated by her vibrant pink-fest music video for the track “Infinity,” which dropped this weekend. The song instantly caught my attention with its catchy melody and upbeat vibe, making it the perfect summer anthem. It’s exactly the fresh, feel-good track I’ve longed for this week. Paris Hilton’s entrepreneurial p

Denmark’s MØ is gearing up to unveil her highly anticipated fourth album, ‘Plæygirl,’ on 16th May via RCA/Sony, creating perfect buzz for yet another exciting track before its release. Her recent singles “Who Said,” “Keep Moving,” and “Sweet” mark a thrilling evolution in her sound. MØ skillfully blends fresh electronic elements with her signature dance-oriented beats, delivering an invigorating listening experience that fans have come to love. This exploration of new musical territory continues

In the realm of emerging alt-pop artists, it is undeniably Chloe Qisha‘s world in 2025, and we are merely living in it. Her meteoric rise as a singer-songwriter is nothing short of astonishing. More so when especially considering she only took the stage for her very first live performance to support her self-titled debut EP last year. Music industry influencers are rapidly recognizing Chloe as one of the most promising talents on the scene this year. With her unique blend of observational storyt