MBW Reacts

The 23 biggest music business deals of 2025: From Taylor Swift to Tencent Music, Live Nation, and Chord.

The biggest artist catalog related deal on this year's list is for the masters of Taylor Swift's first six albums, acquired by... Taylor Swift from Shamrock Capital

Analysis

On… Suno, Songkick, and a Reddit Revolt

The following article originally appeared in Tim Ingham’s latest ‘Tim’s Take’ email, issued exclusively to MBW+ subscribers.

Analysis News

Two artists say AI act Breaking Rust ripped them off. They won’t be the last.

Three things you need to know about the ballooning Breaking Rust saga – and how it fits into a bigger story about AI music fakery...

Analysis

On… influence, music’s ‘Big Three’, and a foreseeable brain drain

As a marquee executive leaves Warner Music Group, the firm's industry positioning warrants pause for thought

Analysis

On… Spotify’s billion-dollar pricing opportunity

The following article originally appeared in Tim Ingham’s latest ‘Tim’s Take’ email, issued exclusively to MBW+ subscribers.

Analysis News

KATSEYE Grammy nominations mark breakthrough for HYBE’s global expansion strategy… and 3 other things we learned from the firm’s Q3 earnings call

MBW Reacts is a series of analytical commentaries from Music Business Worldwide written in response to major recent entertainment events or news stories

Analysis News

Spotify leadership talk price hikes, the company’s ‘ubiquity strategy’ and more on Q3 earnings call

Spotify is making a big push into audiobooks and video, and so far, it appears to be paying off

Analysis

On… Universal’s pincer move, and Suno’s legal loneliness

This article originally appeared in Tim Ingham’s latest 'Tim's Take' email, issued exclusively to MBW+ subscribers.

Analysis

On… Spotify, Suno, and music’s potential AI endgame.

This article originally appeared in Tim Ingham’s latest 'Tim's Take' email, issued exclusively to MBW+ subscribers.

Analysis News

What indie distribution bosses really think about UMG’s proposed acquisition of Downtown and FUGA

MBW polls opinion from an array of founders leading some of the world's top independent distribution and music delivery platforms

Analysis

On… Dodging bullets, Drake, and Demon Hunters

This article originally appeared in Tim Ingham’s latest 'Tim's Take' email, issued exclusively to MBW+ subscribers.

Analysis News

WMG is ‘like Marvel for music’ and 4 other things we learned from Robert Kyncl’s Bloomberg interview

Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl outlined his vision for the music industry's future at the Bloomberg Screentime conference

Analysis

I despair. I desp-AI-r.

MBW founder Tim Ingham's latest MBW+ Review – on Deezer, AI music, and the growing fraud problem.

Analysis News

The 5 most important things to know about HYBE, the music company that just won’t stay out of the headlines

HYBE is busy expanding beyond the world of K-pop, but a seemingly endless string of controversies is dragging down the company's public image

Analysis

Learnings from Spotify’s Q2 2025 earnings call… including what the company (didn’t) say about that long-awaited ‘Music Pro’ tier

MBW's key takeaways from the green giant's latest grilling from investment analysts