Analysis News Spotify subscriber base grew by 3m to 239m in Q1, as company posts biggest ever quarterly profit Spotify posted a "quarterly high" operating income of €168 million ($182.41m)
News Range Media Partners secures funding from Liberty Global, TPG Chair David Bonderman and others The management and production firm has been expanding its presence in the music business
News HYBE confirms audit of ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin over reported attempt to seize control of subsidiary Min is reportedly upset with HYBE over what she sees as a 'copycat' act of her popular NewJeans group
News Kat Kennedy tapped for Managing Director at Reservoir’s Big Life Management, amid slew of new appointments Kennedy, along with Colin Roberts and Claire Kilcourse, have been made partners at the Reservoir-linked management agency
Analysis Hipgnosis Song Management rubbishes criticism over its service to Hipgnosis Songs Fund – while warning it and Blackstone will deploy ‘all means necessary’ should HSF attempt to terminate its deal It basically says... Hey, HSF board – don't even think about firing us. But just in case you do, know that Blackstone will come down on you like a ton of bricks.
News Proper, formerly Utopia, tells shareholders: We need $6.4m from you Company has called on its shareholders to support a round of funding
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
News Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ becomes first album to cross 300m Spotify streams in a single day The Tortured Poets Department broke multiple Spotify records in less than 24 Hours
Analysis Blog Music tech entrepreneurship requires more than product-market fit This op/ed comes from Vickie Nauman, Founder and CEO of LA-based boutique music tech consulting and advisory firm CrossBorderWorks
News Bella Figura Music acquires RAK Publishing, including hits by Hot Chocolate and Joan Jett; firm has spent $80m+ on music rights to date RAK was founded in 1969 by record producer Mickie Most
News Warner Music launches Balkan Electro label for Eastern European EDM talent Balkan Electro is the product of a strategic collaboration between WM South East Europe and EDM label Ensis Records
News TikTok denies plans to remove general counsel amid US security concerns (Report) TikTok has denied a report that general counsel Erich Andersen announced in an email he would be stepping down
News After $1.5bn takeover proposal, Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s board tells Blackstone: We’re listening… Bring on a firm offer, HSF's board tells private investment giant
News Strap in. Blackstone is ready to bid $1.5 billion for Hipgnosis Songs Fund. To paraphrase Pink Floyd, Will the sun (Concord Chorus) be eclipsed by the moon (Blackstone)?
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-Up The five biggest stories to hit our headlines over the past seven days…
News Taylor Swift’s return to TikTok includes an in-app experience for ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ with ‘first-of-its-kind’ features In-app experience follows the return of the superstar's music to TikTok, amid its licensing dispute with Universal Music Group
News Believe’s board backs takeover bid from Denis Ladegaillerie-led consortium The company will continue to trade on the stock market following the expected buyout.
Analysis Blog Yes… Udio’s output resembles copyrighted music, too. After playing with Suno, Ed Newton-Rex gets his hands on the next hottest new app in generative music AI, Udio