News Universal’s Virgin Music Group acquires Saban Music LatinVirgin Music Group will acquire Saban Music Latin’s catalog and will also release future albums by selected Saban Music Latin’s artists
News Universal Music Group renews multi-year licensing deal with Tencent Music platformsUnder the contract, TME will continue to have access to UMG’s music catalog for QQ Music, Kugou Music, Kuwo Music, and WeSing
Interviews BandLab CEO, Meng Ru Kuok: ‘I think there will be over 1 billion music creators by 2030, potentially even sooner.’MBW and Goldman Sachs team up for our first Entrepreneur Of The Year award – and BandLab's co-founder picks up the prize
News Hipgnosis Songs Fund like-for-like revenue up 14.0% YoY in 6 months to end of September; company’s portfolio now valued at $2.62 billion by Citrin CoopermanRed Hot Chili Peppers catalog was UK-listed fund's biggest revenue generator in the period
Analysis Hipgnosis Songs Fund’s board is concerned over Citrin Cooperman’s latest valuation of the company. What’s it going to do about it?Hipgnosis Songs Fund delayed its results today. Why did it do it - and what does it really mean?
Interviews Downtown’s Ben Patterson: ‘Ultimately, the access to music afforded by the internet has cracked the gatekeepers of popular culture…’Ben Patterson outlines the foundations and future for Downtown Music's new Artist & Label Services division
News Spotify is chasing annual profitability. SoundCloud’s already there.Company's revenues projected to be up 9% YoY in 2023
News Universal Music Group is worth more than $50 billion, as firm’s share price hits highest point in 2 yearsUniversal's market cap is currently around $12 billion higher than Spotify's
News On Tuesday, Paul Vogel, CFO of Spotify, cashed $9.3m in shares – 24 hours after his company confirmed 1,500 layoffs. Tonight, Daniel Ek has announced Vogel is out.News comes three days after Spotify announced worldwide layoffs affecting 17% of its workforce
Interviews Michelle Jubelirer on Ice Spice, The Beatles, and reinventing Capitol Music Group: ‘I don’t think any label group has been able to turn things around as quickly as my team and I have done in less than two years.’Jubelirer tells MBW all about her first two years in charge at CMG – and how she's overcome the challenge of quelling, and then re-energizing, one of the most iconic label brands in existence
Interviews ‘Latin artists have been paving the way for deals that offer more control, transparency, and better economics.’Alejandra Olea, Believe's MD, Americas is interview in MBW's World Leaders series following huge success with Iñigo Quintero
Analysis Spotify has laid off 2,300 employees this year. That’s a shock – but also kind of inevitable.On: Promises made at Investor Days, Christmas Walks, and Daniel Ek's long-term aim for his shareholders
Interviews Please, don’t call it distribution.JT Myers and Nat Pastor on their plans for Virgin Music Group, competing with The Orchard, and their disdain for the D-word
Analysis Sony Music’s artists aren’t involved in YouTube’s new voice-cloning AI experiment. Not unrelated: Google’s recent filing with the US Copyright Office.MBW Explains: On 'fair use', Sony Music, YouTube's AI experimentation and the US Copyright Office
Analysis The modern record industry is moving into its ‘cut to grow’ phase.On layoffs at Warner Music Group and BMG, and an upcoming cost savings program at Universal Music Group