Music Industry News
A collection of Music latest news, analysis and best practices from top business influencers and the world's most trustworthy sources.
The K-Shaped Economy Has Come for the Music Industry
Let me put some numbers behind a trend you might have noticed: More than 10 major musical artists have outright canceled their tours in 2026. Dozens of music festivals have called off their dates. At the same time, the average concert ticket in the…
Ed Sheeran, Macklemore, and the music industry's habit of choosing white feelings over Black and Brown lives
Ten days after Macklemore stood on the MetLife stage and said “Free Palestine,” which drew vocal backlash from Zionists and artists like P!nk, he was removed from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour. According to Macklemore, Sheeran was called by…
The Thelma and Louise musical has nothing on the film
The question one should always ask when a beloved film is reimagined as a musical is: why? What is it about the musical medium that will take this story to another level? What's being added here? In the case of Thelma & Louise, a new adaptation…
The pushback against AI songs is music to my ears
Good news for fans of music produced by actual musicians: Some important victories are being won in the war against AI slop and trickery. In November, I wrote a column imploring Spotify — the leading music streaming platform — to make…
Thelma and Louise at the Young Vic: Did this need to become a musical?
This musical adaptation of Ridley Scott's beloved 1991 feminist road movie isn't bad – it just lacks several of the alchemical elements that make the film great. The sense of hardening, angry sisterhood between two ordinary women in the face…
Grammy winner Jason Isbell is suing a Cambridge-based AI music platform. Here's why.
Jason Isbell, a six-time Grammy winning singer and songwriter, and three other artists recently filed a class action lawsuit against Cambridge-based AI music generating platform Suno for the commercial exploitation of their identities, the lawsuit…
Police object to alcohol and music licence for Blackpool swingers club
Police are objecting to a premises licence application from a swingers club in Blackpool after it declined to agree to proposed door security conditions. Club Play has applied for its first long-term premises licence, seeking permission to carry…
Radio station drops Ed Sheeran music after listener feedback on Macklemore row
A radio station has dropped Ed Sheeran's music after “the reaction from our listeners” to the decision to remove Macklemore from his tour over comments the rapper made about Gaza. All of the current support acts on Sheeran's Loop tour…
Celebrity Traitors sees soap star and music legend quickly become 'big dogs
The Celebrity Traitors is underway and the latest series' 'big dogs ' have been confirmed. EastEnders legend Ross Kemp and musician James Blunt are said to have took early control of things as the famous faces get put to the test. As the BBC…
Cheryl Tweedy hints at new Girls Aloud music ahead of special anniversary
Girls Aloud could be working on new music. The girl group, who were formed in 2002, last released a single, I'll Stand By You (Sarah's Version), in 2024, in aid of Comic Relief and in honour of their late bandmate, Sarah Harding. Prior to that…
Lunacy Audio Nova is a place to build and sell your own AI-powered music plugins
It's a development platform, a storefront, and a plugin for your DAW. It's a development platform, a storefront, and a plugin for your DAW. If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
Music Distribution, Explained: And Why It Matters More Than Ever for Independent Artists
The music industry has never had fewer gatekeepers. Independent artists are increasingly releasing music without traditional label deals, while established acts have more options for retaining ownership and control over their recordings. In 2025…
Bay Area woman's nonprofit boost music careers for women, gender-expansive people
Only about 5% of professionals in music and audio production are women or gender-expansive people. A San Francisco woman has been working to change the face of sound for more than 20 years. Terri Winston was directing the sound recording arts…
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Why Hyundai is investing in a music IP when it could simply sponsor concerts
For most brands, music marketing can mean putting a logo on a concert, setting up a stall at a festival and catching the audience between performances. But Virat Khullar, head of marketing, Hyundai Motor India, says Hyundai has been looking at…
Ed Sheeran's Music Taken Off Air By Irish Radio Station Amid Macklemore Controversy
Ed Sheeran fans in Ireland had better head to Spotify if they want to listen to his tracks... because a major radio station says he's persona non grata at the moment. Classic Hits Radio -- a Dublin-based station with a reach into other major cities…
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