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
News Copyright case over Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ continues in New York appeals court The long-running dispute, in which Sheeran emerged victorious last year, now continues in an appellate court in New York.
Interviews ‘Jelly Roll speaks to the underdogs with his music; Lainey Wilson has made Country Cool Again.’ BMG Nashville EVP of Recorded Music, JoJamie Hahr, on the rise of Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson, and BBR Music Group's positioning in country music
News Audiomack signs partnership with Merlin, as streaming service aims to monetize and legitimize modified audio Audiomack's Audiomod tool allows music fans to speed up, slow down, and adjust the pitch on the songs they're listening to
News NMPA accuses Spotify of ‘attacking songwriters’ as streaming service changes how it pays out mechanical royalties in the US SPOT now considers its Premium plans to be 'bundles' – because they combine audiobooks and music
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."