Music News

Apple has approved a Spotify iOS update in the U.S. following a ‘landmark’ Epic Games ruling. Photo Credit: James Yarema On the heels of a major ruling in the marathon Apple v. Epic Games legal battle, Spotify has received approval for an updated version of its iOS app in the U.S. The vocal App Store critic Spotify revealed as much in a “Time to Play Fair” blog post. Originally published yesterday (following the April 30th ruling), that post reiterated the streaming service’s long-sought chan

What could possibly be more exciting than a brand new track from Alison Goldfrapp? Perhaps the thrilling announcement of her upcoming album! For those who might have missed it, Alison Goldfrapp has just unveiled her latest single “Find Xanadu” on BBC Radio 2, alongside the exciting news that her new album “Flux” is set to drop on August 15th. I was genuinely thrilled for this new era to unfold. I remember Alison sharing online about her studio time with Stefan Storm from The Sound of Arrows. Ins

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is on an unstoppable roll, and that’s a certainty! As she gears up for her biggest UK and Ireland headline tour yet, she has just unveiled “Vertigo.” This is an exciting new track that serves as a tantalizing preview of her upcoming album. After the dazzling release of “Freedom of the Night” in late 2024, she initially rolled into 2025 at a measured pace. However, she’s now igniting the excitement as she approaches her tour, delivering two stunning tracks in less than a month

A captivating alt-pop duo has caught my attention this week: the LA-based Haute & Freddy. They’ve skillfully generated excitement on TikTok, leading to sold-out shows in NYC, showcasing their distinctive theatrical charm. Their 18th-century-inspired aesthetic sets them apart visually, while their music transports listeners into a synth-pop dreamscape filled with infectious beats, ethereal vocals, and intriguing, esoteric themes. It’s no surprise that Haute & Freddy have made such a stron

Photo Credit: Yvette de Wit Live Nation reports a slow start in Q1 2025. But the company has lots of revenue booked that is yet to be realized, according to CEO Michael Rapino. Live Nation’s Q1 2025 earnings report shows drops in total revenue and adjusted operating income compared to the same quarter the year prior. Overall revenue came to $3.38 billion—an 11% drop from last year, with adjusted operating income dropping 6% to $341 million. The first quarter results come after Live Nation rep

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

Merlin is now a member of the Music Fights Fraud Alliance. Photo Credit: Merlin Months after bringing on its first director of content integrity, Merlin has officially joined the Music Fights Fraud Alliance (MFFA). The indie collective (and AI fair-training advocate) announced as much this morning. Established in 2023, Music Fights Fraud, in keeping with its name, bills itself as “a global task force aimed at eradicating streaming fraud.” And in pursuit of the objective, MFFA is said to coll

Photo Credit: John Mayer (VMG), Mandy McCormack (TeamTY), Jordan Isbell (VMG), Trisha Yearwood, Jen Bontusa (VMG), by Natalie Simmons Trisha Yearwood partners with Virgin Music Group for new music and her recent catalog via her Gwendolyn Records. Her new album, THE MIRROR, is set for release on July 18. Virgin Music Group, the leading partner to independent artists, labels, and entrepreneurs, has announced the signing of a partnership with country superstar Trisha Yearwood and her label Gwendo

Photo Credit: SiriusXM SiriusXM announces the launch of Morgan Wallen Radio to bring fans closer to the country superstar ahead of his latest album, I’m the Problem. The limited-run channel, which debuts today, is available to SiriusXM subscribers in their cars on Channel 57, and on the SiriusXM app through May 31. Curated by Wallen himself, the channel features his biggest hits, deep cuts, and all 37 tracks from his new album. In addition to his own music, Wallen hand-picked songs from music

Photo Credit: Joshua Hoehne Cultural metaverse Fortnite is set to return to the U.S. iOS App Store next week following a ruling in the years-long legal battle between Epic Games and Apple. The decision comes after a California federal court found that Apple had “willfully violated” a previous injunction designed to open the App Store to greater competition and alternative payment methods. The dispute has been ongoing since 2020, when Apple removed the game from its App Store after Epic updated

(l to r) Influence senior partner Rene McLean, co-managing partner Lynn Hazan, founder Lylette Pizarro, and DJ Khaled. Photo Credit: Influence Media Partners Three months after securing $360 million in debt financing, Influence Media Partners has taken a stake in DJ Khaled’s song rights and launched a pair of JVs with the New Orleans native. New York City-headquartered Influence Media opted to emphasize the joint ventures – and its “unconventional” efforts “to increase future brand value for

Photo Credit: NHL Harmonica players from the Koreatown Senior and Community Center have captivated LA Kings fans with their rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” As the LA Kings geared up to face Edmonton over the weekend in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series, players were reminded to “pack your harmonicas” before the show hit the road. But if you think a harmonica sounds like a strange thing to bring to a hockey game, you may not be familiar with the game’s superstitious nature. W

Photo Credit: Suge Knight by Nick Leisure / CC by 2.0 Suge Knight has agreed to a $1.5 million settlement to the family of Terry Carter, the man he ran over and killed in a 2015 hit-and-run. On Tuesday, Suge Knight appeared in court via video and agreed to a $1.5 million settlement in his wrongful death suit. The wife and daughters of Terry Carter, the man Knight ran over and killed with his truck in 2015, will each receive $500,000. The settlement prevents a retrial on claims made by Carter’

Photo Credit: Morgan Wallen by Andrew Wendowski / CC by 4.0 Nashville record label Big Loud has sold a minority stake in Morgan Wallen’s catalog to Chord Music Partners for $200 million. A representative for Big Loud, the Nashville label that’s home to country star Morgan Wallen, confirmed the sale of a minority stake in the singer’s catalog to Chord Music Partners. Chord made the purchase for $200 million, sources close to the matter said. “Big Loud has sold a minority stake in Morgan Wallen

Photo Credit: Victrola Record Players Vinyl sales slowdowns amid broader economic uncertainty spell trouble for several smaller vinyl companies. Vinyl records surpassed CDs as the most popular physical music format over the past few years; 2024 marked the 18th consecutive year that vinyl record sales grew. But the strain on vinyl production facilities has only been compounded by the increased demand. That increased demand was made all the more difficult by many manufacturing plants having clo

Photo Credit: Sam Smith, Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (Official Music Video) A copyright infringement lawsuit against Sam Smith and Normani over their hit “Dancing With a Stranger” has been revived by a federal appeals court. A federal appeals court has revived a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against Sam Smith and Normani over their 2019 hit “Dancing With a Stranger,” alleging it copied aspects of a similarly named song from 2015. On Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the 9th US Circu

An interior shot of Deezer’s Paris headquarters. Photo Credit: Deezer Deezer has reported a modest revenue improvement – and a subscriber dip – for 2025’s opening quarter. Nevertheless, execs are still banking on “reaching profitability this year.” The publicly traded streaming company (DEEZR on the Euronext Paris) today published its Q1 2025 financials as well as its close to 300-page 2024 annual report. Keeping the focus on the former, Deezer disclosed Q1 2025 revenue of €134 million (curren

Fat Joe, who’s filed a defamation lawsuit against one of his former employees. Photo Credit: Mika-photography Drake isn’t the only rapper suing over allegedly false pedophilia claims. Now, Fat Joe says his former hype man defamed him with untrue allegations “of vile sexual misconduct, pedophilia, statutory rape, violence and stealing.” 54-year-old Fat Joe (real name Joseph Cartagena) just recently submitted the complaint to a federal court in his native New York. Aside from the mentioned hype

Photo Credit: Hugh Forrest for Penske Media Former South by Southwest President Hugh Forrest says parent company Penske Media forced him out during an executive shakeup. According to former South by Southwest (SXSW) President Hugh Forrest, leaving his role was not his choice. Instead, it was the decision of parent company, Penske Media, which now owns a 51% stake in SXSW. “Leaving SXSW was definitely not my decision,” said Forrest in a statement. “I put my heart and soul into this event for m

Udio is set to begin fingerprinting its outputs under a deal with Audible Magic. Photo Credit: Possessed Photography With AI tracks pouring onto streaming services in droves, Udio is now set to begin fingerprinting its users’ outputs under an Audible Magic tie-up. The involved parties reached out with word of the audio-ID system. Revolving around a “content control pipeline,” the approach will see Udio register tracks at the source via Audible Magic so DSPs can then “reliably recognize” the w

Photo Credit: Downtown / Audius Audius, the largest decentralized music community, discovery platform, and marketplace for artists and fans, signs a global deal with Downtown Music. The deal encompasses both the recording and publishing side of Downtown’s business, and paves the way for millions of licensed recordings from Downtown’s extensive catalog to be added to Audius. It also unlocks a new way for Downtown’s artists and labels to directly connect with their fans and control how their mus

Photo Credit: Jessi Vaughn Stevenson (WCM), Jared Mullins, Morgan Wallen, and Phil May (WCM) by David Lehr Warner Chappell Music Nashville and Morgan Wallen’s publishing company, Wilder Music, have signed a global publishing deal with Jared Mullins. Known for his dynamic songwriting, singer-songwriter Jared Mullins has co-written several No. 1 hits, including “Thank God” by Kane Brown featuring Katelyn Brown, and Jake Owen’s “Homemade.” Both tracks topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart, w

Photo Credit: @eddysonline / TikTok Is Katy Perry’s career at a crossroads? Once considered pop royalty, the singer has faced a wave of public backlash that began long before her 11-minute space walk. The pop singer has responded to the internet’s backlash, calling herself a ‘human piñata’ in the process. Perry’s latest album 143 was intended to be a triumphant return for the pop singer, but instead it has widely been labeled a commercial disappointment. From lackluster chart performance to th

Photo Credit: Song Sleuth Epidemic Sound acquires music recognition tech company Song Sleuth to help revolutionize music monetization in user generated content. The world’s leading soundtracking platform, Epidemic Sound, has announced the acquisition of Song Sleuth, the music recognition technology company specializing in identifying and monetizing music used in user-generated content (UGC). The deal marks the launch of Aentidote, a new service under the Epidemic Sound Group, designed to help

Photo Credit: rishi Apple Music has appointed industry veterans Ole Obermann and Rachel Newman as Co-Presidents to steer the streaming service. The dual leadership structure will report to Apple Vice President Oliver Shusser. The structure merges external innovation with internal institutional knowledge as Apple fights for market share against industry behemoth Spotify. Ole Obermann joins the organization from TikTok, where he served as the Global Head of Music Business Development from 2019 t