News Hipgnosis buys catalog of Nobody Does It Better writer Carole Bayer Sager, likely for around $10m MBW's uncomfirmed estimate suggests deal would have cost somewhere around $9m to $10m
News How many artists are generating $50k+ a year on Spotify? Over 13,000. New Loud & Clear site sees Spotify pull back the curtain on the truth about streaming economics
News Hotly-tipped UK artist Holly Humberstone signs with Polydor, Interscope, and Darkroom Records Artist makes jump from Platoon to trio of Universal-affiliated labels
News Another nine-figure music industry acquisition is coming… and it’s Brazilian MBW understands that Som Livre is attracting interest at a $250m-plus valuation
Analysis News Hipgnosis reveals how it values songs (and that its catalog is worth slightly more than it originally forecast) New disclosures show that Hipgnosis' assets were earning 0.4% more than company predicted they would when it acquired them
News NFTs for copyrights: Why non-fungible tokens could transform who gets paid from music rights, and how Ditto Music's Bluebox project is selling partial ownership of two copyrights wrapped up into NFTs this week
Analysis News The global recorded music industry grew by $1.5bn in 2020, despite the pandemic (report) New Midia report unveils estimates of industry growth in 2020
News Epidemic Sound valued at $1.4bn as Blackstone joins $450m investment round in Swedish company Controversial Swedish music company achieves the $1bn-plus valuation it was looking for
News BTS were the world’s biggest-selling recording artist last year. But for the first time ever, no British acts made the Top 10. Universal Music Group acts claimed nine (and a bit) in the IFPI's Top 10 chart
Analysis News ASCAP payouts to songwriters and publishers grew in pandemic 2020 – but it was the smallest increase in 5 years PRO's distribution increases slowed down in pandemic year – but total collections sped up
Analysis News CD Baby paid out $125m from digital platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music in 2020 CD Baby's digital payouts rose 14% in the year, as YouTube Music's contribution doubled
Analysis News Universal Music Group generated $8.4bn in 2020… and spent over $1.7bn on catalog acquisitions and artist advances Advances and catalog expenditure figure was more than triple the equivalent number from 2019
News UTA acquires Echo Location Talent Agency; Obi Asika named Co-Head of major agency’s UK office Echo reps Bugzy Malone, Chase & Status, Davido, Diplo, Galantis, Gorgon City, Giggs, Wizkid and many more
News Canada’s Anthem Entertainment ups spending power by $550m with new credit facility As the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan increases its equity investment in company
News NetEase and Sony Music join $15m investment round in live-streaming platform Maestro Los Angeles-based tech startup takes total investment raised to date to $22 million