News George Michael estate inks exclusive global deal with Sony Music UK’s merch company Kontraband Deal expands on the Estate’s existing partnership with Sony Music UK
News Songtradr raises $50m in series D funding round Company has raised over $100m to date, valuing the firm at over $300m
News Sarah Scott named Managing Partner at LaPolt Law Scott was previously SVP of Business & Legal Affairs at Universal Music Group Canada
News Sony Music Australia boss Denis Handlin exits after 50+ years with the company Departure announced via an internal email on Monday June 21
News Done deal: Pershing Square SPAC is buying 10% of Universal Music Group for $4bn Bill Ackman's company announces it's completed agreement with Vivendi to buy into major music company
News From Hipgnosis raising $210m to Warner spending $100m: It’s MBW’s Weekly Round-Up The biggest stories from the past five days in music
News Nile Rodgers re-elected as Chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame Nile Rodgers has already spent three years in the role
Analysis Blog The rise of Maneskin reminds the world of the power of Eurovision – and of Italian music. "Does this signal the end of the Anglo-American dominance of popular music and a new-found pride for European countries in their domestic artists?"
News 300 Entertainment launches invite-only DIY distribution platform, Sparta 300 claims that Sparta offers "unmatched delivery speed and flexibility"
News Imran Majid and Justin Eshak appointed Co-CEOs of Island Records Eshak and Majid will join Island from Columbia Records
News Warner Music spends over $100m to buy David Guetta recordings catalog Is Warner Music Group leaning towards hits created in the past 20 years?
News ‘Loyal, passionate, hilarious’: Music biz mourns EMI’s Ashley Forbes Popular Scottish executive worked at EMI Records / Virgin Records for over 30 years
News Sony Music buys the UK’s largest independent podcast maker, Somethin’ Else “Our new global podcast division is key to our plans for a fast-paced expansion in the market, diversifying our creative abilities and providing a home for exciting content that will benefit millions of podcast-lovers around the world.”
News Hipgnosis is raising another $210 million via a new share issue on London Stock Exchange Firm says money will buy a "substantial pipeline of songs"
News Opulous just raised $6.5 million. Now it wants more artists to sell NFTs through its platform. Artists can sell both copyright NFTs and non-copyright NFTS through platform, thanks to recent Binance partnership
News Loss-making Spotify commits to paying out yet more money to a new type of ‘Creator’ The Spotify Greenroom Creator Fund will pay creators on its Clubhouse rival app Greenroom
Interviews Round Hill Records buys more masters, makes new hires and opens Nashville HQ Round Hill CEO Josh Gruss and Round Hill Records President Joe Calitri tell MBW about the company's recorded music activities
News Indie artists can now get their music on Facebook and Instagram via TuneCore and Distrokid The partnership will "help artists get their music on Facebook and Instagram quickly, seamlessly and at no cost to the artists," says the company