This week, Irving Azoff‘s Global Music Rights announced Jeff Toig as its new CEO, with co-founder Randy Grimmett becoming Executive Chairman.
Meanwhile, there were 253 million music tracks sitting on audio streaming services at the close of 2025, according to new data from Luminate.
Elsewhere, Spotify raised its Premium subscription prices in the US and other markets, with the US Individual Premium tier increasing from $11.99 to $12.99 starting in February 2026.
Also this week, TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson exited her role, transitioning to a Strategic Advisor position at parent company Believe.
Here are some of the biggest headlines from the past few days…
1. JEFF TOIG NAMED CEO AT IRVING AZOFF’S GMR, AS CO-FOUNDER RANDY GRIMMETT BECOMES EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
Global Music Rights, Irving Azoff’s $3.3 billion-valued PRO, has a new CEO. Jeff Toig, previously Chief Business Officer at GMR, has been promoted to the Chief Executive Officer position at the US-headquartered Performing Rights organization.
He succeeds Randy Grimmett, GMR’s co-founder, who has been elevated to Executive Chairman. The leadership change arrives just over 12 months after the company struck a deal with private equity firm Hellman & Friedman that valued GMR at USD $3.3 billion… (MBW)
2. MUSIC STREAMING PLATFORMS NOW HOST QUARTER OF A BILLION TRACKS. WHERE DOES IT END?
There were 253 million music tracks sitting on audio streaming services at the close of 2025.
Yep: over quarter of a billion. Some milestone.
According to new data from Luminate’s new annual report, that was up by 37.9 million tracks YoY – an average of 106,000 uploads per day… (MBW)
3. SPOTIFY HIKES PRICE FOR PREMIUM SUBSCRIBERS IN THE US, OTHER MARKETS
Spotify is raising prices for Premium subscribers in the United States, Estonia, and Latvia.
The streaming giant is notifying users this month that monthly subscription costs will increase starting in February 2026. In the US, monthly subscription costs will rise from $11.99 to $12.99.
The price adjustment comes roughly 18 months after Spotify’s previous US price hike in July 2024, when the Premium tier increased from $10.99 to $11.99… (MBW)
4. TUNECORE CEO ANDREEA GLEESON EXITS, MOVES TO STRATEGIC ADVISOR POSITION AT PARENT COMPANY BELIEVE
There’s been a significant leadership shakeup at the Believe-owned distribution company, TuneCore. Andreea Gleeson has revealed in an internal memo to staff, obtained by MBW, that she’ll be exiting her role as CEO of TuneCore, and moving to a Strategic Advisor position at parent company Believe.
“After ten years at TuneCore, and with the company well-positioned for continued success, Believe and I have mutually agreed that the time is right for me to transition,” said Gleeson in the note sent out on Wednesday (January 14).
The executive added in the memo that “Believe and I looked at what the future requires and agreed the best path is for me to support Believe’s executive team in an advisory capacity to continue building where I can have the greatest impact.”… (MBW)
5. IN LANDMARK TERMINATION RIGHTS RULING, APPEALS COURT SAYS SONGWRITERS CAN RECLAIM GLOBAL COPYRIGHTS UNDER US LAW
A federal appeals court ruled on Monday (January 12) that songwriters can use US copyright law to reclaim their songs worldwide, not just in the US, a decision that could change how the music industry handles decades-old agreements between songwriters and publishers.
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a lower court’s decision allowing songwriter Cyril Vetter to take back full global control of Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love), a 1963 rock song, from publisher Resnik Music Group.
The three-judge panel affirmed an earlier ruling that Vetter and Vetter Communications Corporation are the sole worldwide owners of the copyright. The decision centers on “termination rights,” a provision in copyright law that lets songwriters reclaim songs they sold off years earlier… (MBW)
