Music Business Analysis

UMG’s Michael Nash takes aim at ‘false narrative of artist replacement’ by AI – and 3 other things we learned from his HumanX panel with Splice’s CEO

The pair discussed UMG's approach to AI, including how the company balances protecting artists' rights with leaning into AI innovation

Analysis

The music industry has long prioritized creative output over operational foundations. AI does not alter that imbalance; it exposes it.

Deviate Digital founder Sammy Andrews digs deep into how the business globally is actually using AI – and detects that the conversation is finally evolving beyond linear arguments over rights…

Analysis

The Unravelling of a ‘Bulletproof’ Brand: Wireless Festival’s Self-Inflicted Crisis

Music industry communications specialist weighs in on the Ye controversy, and Wireless Festival's cancellation

Analysis

Selling a $3B Spotify stake, Michael Ovitz as Chairman of the Board, and a $100B+ company: Welcome to Bill Ackman’s plan for Universal Music Group.

MBW founder Tim Ingham on telling details within Pershing Square's proposal for a new Universal Music Group

Analysis News

From WMG swooping for Revelator to UMG’s €500 million share buyback program… it’s MBW’s weekly round-up

The biggest headlines from the past few days...

Analysis News

UMG fires back at Drake appeal over ‘Not Like Us’ case dismissal: 3 takeaways from response brief

UMG says Drake used AI-generated voices of Snoop Dogg and the late Tupac Shakur “to goad Lamar into responding to his diss tracks.

Analysis

Where’s V6?

MBW Founder Tim Ingham on Suno's missing licensed model and why the WMG deal doesn't mean the music industry has moved on

Analysis News

Mandopop superstar Jay Chou is about to release his new album ‘Children of the Sun’ via UMG, led by a $2.8M music video. The timing couldn’t be more significant.

The album is also the first new studio record released since Chou and his label JVR Music signed a strategic global partnership with Universal Music Greater China in December 2023,

Analysis News

A new WMG deal, an Ed Sheeran collaboration and 10M AI music production users… 3 things we learned from Tencent Music’s Q4 earnings call

Tencent Music Entertainment (TME) published its Q4 and full-year 2025 results on Tuesday (March 17). Here are three things that stood out.

Analysis News

Music Business Worldwide

Music Business Analysis

UMG’s Michael Nash takes aim at ‘false narrative of artist replacement’ by AI – and 3 other things we learned from his HumanX panel with Splice’s CEO

The music industry has long prioritized creative output over operational foundations. AI does not alter that imbalance; it exposes it.

The Unravelling of a ‘Bulletproof’ Brand: Wireless Festival’s Self-Inflicted Crisis

Selling a $3B Spotify stake, Michael Ovitz as Chairman of the Board, and a $100B+ company: Welcome to Bill Ackman’s plan for Universal Music Group.

From WMG swooping for Revelator to UMG’s €500 million share buyback program… it’s MBW’s weekly round-up

UMG fires back at Drake appeal over ‘Not Like Us’ case dismissal: 3 takeaways from response brief

Where’s V6?

Mandopop superstar Jay Chou is about to release his new album ‘Children of the Sun’ via UMG, led by a $2.8M music video. The timing couldn’t be more significant.

A new WMG deal, an Ed Sheeran collaboration and 10M AI music production users… 3 things we learned from Tencent Music’s Q4 earnings call

10 quick (and crucial) takeaways from IFPI’s Global Music Report 2026

Sir Lucian Grainge just became the first music exec at NVIDIA’s ‘Super Bowl of AI’. Here’s what he said.

Tencent Music now has 20M+ ‘Super VIP’ subscribers. Here’s what that means for China’s largest music streamer.

Why the UMG/Downtown deal may be the last of its kind

The Problem with AI Companies ‘Starting Fresh’.

Chance the Rapper vs. Pat the Manager trial: Seven revelations from the courtroom so far