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View AllMusic Industry Moves: BMG Fully Acquires John Lee Hooker, Hal David, ARC Music Publishing Catalogs
The first half of this year saw $2.77 trillion worth of deals inked worldwide, up 48% from the year-ago period and the best first half for mergers and acquisitions since the dot com bubble burst in 2002, the New York Times recently reported, citing data from the London Stock Exchange Group. Those events have created […]
The Music Industry in 2026: Trends and Opportunities
Wallen’s ‘I’m the Problem’ beat out Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love’ and Charli XCX’s ‘Music, Fashion, Film’ in one of the tightest chart races of the year so far. The respected Warner Records exec will step in for Armin Zerza, who leaves a year after joining. Wrote that […]
Vinyl in 2026: The Records That Define the New Era of Collecting
The report suggested that “price accessibility” could be a factor behind the trend, while also show the importance of physical fandom in K-pop culture, and the success of BTS’s March comeback album ‘ARIRANG’. Back in 2024, more than half of 18-24-year-olds surveyed by Key Production, the UK’s biggest vinyl packaging firm, revealed their preference for […]
$11.5 billion and the trajectory of US music royalties.
What most people don’t realize is that the system is explicitly designed so that the corporation takes almost zero risk, keeps permanent ownership of the valuable assets, the music itself, and passes all financial debts onto the creators. Universal Music Group is the largest music company in the world, capturing roughly thirty-two percent of the […]
The 5 Free Music Distribution Services Still Standing in 2026 (And What ‘Free’ Actually Costs)
The paid-subscriber pecking order by MIDiA Research’s end-2025 market share model: Spotify (31.4% of global subs, 293M official) → Tencent Music (13.8%, 127.4M paying users in China, last official figure Q4 2025) → Apple Music (12.6%, estimated ~100M, Apple has not officially disclosed since June 2023) → YouTube Music (12.4%, 125M official combined Music + […]
CD Sales Growth Outpaced Vinyl in the First Half of 2026
The report suggested that “price accessibility” could be a factor behind the trend, while also show the importance of physical fandom in K-pop culture, and the success of BTS’s March comeback album ‘ARIRANG’. Back in 2024, more than half of 18-24-year-olds surveyed by Key Production, the UK’s biggest vinyl packaging firm, revealed their preference for […]
The Music Industry’s Paradox: Rising Profits, Falling Artist Pay
What most people don’t realize is that the system is explicitly designed so that the corporation takes almost zero risk, keeps permanent ownership of the valuable assets, the music itself, and passes all financial debts onto the creators. Universal Music Group is the largest music company in the world, capturing roughly thirty-two percent of the […]
10 Music Business Podcasts You Should Be Listening to Right Now
Hosted by Jay Gilbert and Mike Etchart, Your Morning Coffee delivers a weekly rundown of the news and trends shaping the contemporary music business. Musician and author Ari Herstand interviews artists, executives, managers and marketers about how careers are actually being built today. Recent episodes have explored influencer marketing, modern A&R, direct-to-fan album campaigns and […]
Done deal: Sony Music Publishing completes acquisition of Recognition Music Group’s catalog
The first half of this year saw $2.77 trillion worth of deals inked worldwide, up 48% from the year-ago period and the best first half for mergers and acquisitions since the dot com bubble burst in 2002, the New York Times recently reported, citing data from the London Stock Exchange Group. Those events have created […]
Top Selling Vinyl Records 2026: Trends & Picks
The report suggested that “price accessibility” could be a factor behind the trend, while also show the importance of physical fandom in K-pop culture, and the success of BTS’s March comeback album ‘ARIRANG’. Back in 2024, more than half of 18-24-year-olds surveyed by Key Production, the UK’s biggest vinyl packaging firm, revealed their preference for […]
Vinyl Records Statistics 2026: Sales, Growth & Data
The report suggested that “price accessibility” could be a factor behind the trend, while also show the importance of physical fandom in K-pop culture, and the success of BTS’s March comeback album ‘ARIRANG’. Back in 2024, more than half of 18-24-year-olds surveyed by Key Production, the UK’s biggest vinyl packaging firm, revealed their preference for […]
Independent labels explore new revenue streams as streaming royalties fall short
What most people don’t realize is that the system is explicitly designed so that the corporation takes almost zero risk, keeps permanent ownership of the valuable assets, the music itself, and passes all financial debts onto the creators. Universal Music Group is the largest music company in the world, capturing roughly thirty-two percent of the […]