Analysis News From the bidding war for Hipgnosis Songs Fund to ByteDance’s battle for TikTok in the US… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe five biggest stories to hit our headlines over the past seven days…
News Billie Eilish and Green Day among 250+ artists backing US Senate bill to reform ticketing industryThe bill would require disclosure of a ticket's final sales price before purchase, and strengthen enforcement of laws against ticket-buying bots
Analysis News Epidemic Sound has courted controversy over its ‘buy-out deals’. Here’s exactly how the company pays artists…MBW Explains is a series of analytical features in which we explore the context behind major music industry talking points
News Luminate reaches music sales data collection deal with indie record storesThe new arrangement defuses a controversy over how Luminate collects data on physical music sales at indie stores
Analysis News A new ‘music-only’ subscription tier is coming to Spotify, confirms Daniel Ek… and 4 other things we learned on the company’s latest earnings callSpotify is making good on its aim to become more than a music streaming service
News As President Biden signs law that could ban TikTok, the app’s CEO says: ‘We aren’t going anywhere’Shou Zi Chew says TikTok will fight the law in court, and the platform will be available in the US in the meantime
Analysis The risks of AI to music streaming services… according to Tencent Music EntertainmentTME is one of the most enthusiastic adopters of AI among music streaming companies, but it sees plenty of unknowns in the technology
Analysis News TikTok plots US court battle as divest-or-ban bill heads for Senate vote (reports)Legislation forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban in the US has passed the House and is headed for a vote in the Senate
Analysis News From the NMPA’s criticism of Spotify’s bundling plans to Concord’s bid for Hipgnosis assets… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe five biggest stories to hit our headlines over the past seven days…
News Believe’s board backs takeover bid from Denis Ladegaillerie-led consortiumThe company will continue to trade on the stock market following the expected buyout.
News Copyright case over Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ continues in New York appeals courtThe long-running dispute, in which Sheeran emerged victorious last year, now continues in an appellate court in New York.
News Audiomack signs partnership with Merlin, as streaming service aims to monetize and legitimize modified audioAudiomack's Audiomod tool allows music fans to speed up, slow down, and adjust the pitch on the songs they're listening to
News TikTok rival Triller to merge with NASDAQ-listed AGBA, creating $4 billion social media and financial services company"We believe this is the most efficient route for Triller to access public capital markets and secure the liquidity needed for rapid growth."
News Africa-focused streaming service Mdundo reports 41% jump in active users, as Nigerian currency crisis pressures revenueThe Nigerian naira fell 38% in Q1, putting pressure of Mdundo's revenue even as user growth continued unabated
Analysis News Epidemic Sound’s royalty-free music is played 2.5bn times per day on YouTube and TikTok, but company still struggles to turn a profitThe company says there are now 26 million videos on YouTube and TikTok featuring its music