https://wearethemusicmakers.co/latest Music tech and AI in music: the news that matters, what we think about it, and a directory of the tools. en-us Sun, 25 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/spotify-fresh-finds-forward-independent-artists https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/spotify-fresh-finds-forward-independent-artists Spotify will invite about 10,000 independent artists a year from its Fresh Finds playlists into a 12-month programme of studio time, software, therapy and promotion. There is no cash in it, the biggest perks are US-only, and the real prize is the editorial attention that comes with membership. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryspotifyindependent-artistsplaylistsartist-development https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/iprs-and-pprl-india-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/iprs-and-pprl-india-explained India splits music licensing between the song and the recording. IPRS speaks for composers, lyricists and publishers; PPL India licenses sound recordings assigned to it by labels. A 2025 Delhi High Court ruling questioned how PPL may license without being a registered copyright society. This guide explains the two sides and what an independent artist should do, using the Copyright Act text and court records read on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers royaltiesindiacopyrightindustry https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/merch-for-independent-artists https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/merch-for-independent-artists Print-on-demand means no stock and no upfront cost, but you pay more per item. Ordering in bulk is cheaper per item, but you pay first and carry the risk. This guide sets out how each model works, how to calculate the margin on one shirt, and when to switch. Fees are from Printful and Bandcamp, read on 24 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers merchindustrytouring https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/neighbouring-rights-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/neighbouring-rights-explained Neighbouring rights pay the people behind a recording, not the song: the master owner and the performers on it. This guide sets out the two roles, how PPL in the UK and SoundExchange in the US split the money, where the US differs, and what a self-releasing artist should register, using PPL, SoundExchange, WIPO and US statute pages read on 24 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers royaltiesneighbouring-rightsperformersindustry https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/production-music-libraries-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/production-music-libraries-explained Production music is written to be licensed: background cues, beds, stings and themes that video makers pick from a catalogue instead of commissioning a score. This guide explains how libraries make money, what an exclusive or non-exclusive deal actually changes for you, why Content ID and retitling collide, and how to write and deliver music a library can use. Sources read on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers synclicensingroyaltiesindustry https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/reservoir-billy-strayhorn-publishing-nil-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/reservoir-billy-strayhorn-publishing-nil-rights In one week Reservoir bought Billy Strayhorn's publishing with a share of his name, image and likeness rights, then José Feliciano's recorded catalogue with non-exclusive likeness rights. Neither announcement mentions AI, but a likeness is now worth owning because of what AI can do with it. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrycatalogue-dealsreservoirartist-rightsvoice-rightsestates https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/sync-licensing-basics-for-indies https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/sync-licensing-basics-for-indies A sync placement pays for two separate rights, and a music supervisor has to clear both before your track goes anywhere near a picture. Here is what those rights are, why owning both of them makes you easier to license, how library deals differ, why nobody can quote you a standard fee, and the paperwork that gets you paid after the cheque. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers synclicensingroyaltiescopyrightindustry https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/suno-mlc-distrokid-subpoenas-data-war https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/suno-mlc-distrokid-subpoenas-data-war In the same week, Suno asked a Nashville court to force the MLC to hand over years of streaming data, and UMG and Sony asked a Manhattan court to force DistroKid to hand over its AI-detection numbers. Both sides want the data that will decide whether AI music has harmed the market. The artists whose plays and uploads fill those tables can't see any of it. Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:00:00 GMT We are the music makers industrysunodistrokidmlcfair-useai-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/umg-tyger-adaptive-game-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/umg-tyger-adaptive-game-music Universal Music Group is the first major music company to license TYGER, a music app for gamers that adapts licensed recordings to live gameplay. It isn't a song generator, and it could be a new income line. But nobody has said whether artists will be paid like sync or like a stream, or whether they get a say in how their songs are reshaped. Thu, 22 Oct 2026 15:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrygamingumglicensingai-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/spotify-q3-2026-306m-subscribers-agentic-age https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/spotify-q3-2026-306m-subscribers-agentic-age Spotify ended Q3 2026 with 306 million Premium subscribers and 788 million monthly users, and its co-CEO pitched it as a winner of the "agentic age". As listening moves into AI agents and conversations, artists have little view of how they get picked, and the the Universal and Warner deals reaching their two-year mark in early 2027 are the moment to ask. Thu, 22 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrystreamingspotifyai-agentsearnings https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/chappell-roan-shrine-benefit-labels-health-insurance https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/chappell-roan-shrine-benefit-labels-health-insurance Chappell Roan's two Super Graphic Spectacular shows at LA's Shrine Auditorium on 21 and 22 October raise money for her Midwest Princess Project. Twenty months after she told labels at the Grammys to give developing artists a living wage and health insurance, artists are still the ones writing the cheques. Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryartist-rightschappell-roanhealth-insurancelabels https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/spotify-1000-stream-rule-ai-shield https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/spotify-1000-stream-rule-ai-shield Spotify now calls its 1,000-stream royalty threshold a "first line of defense" against AI-generated tracks, which it says are 10 times more likely to fall below it. The same rule decides whether a new human artist earns anything, and Spotify still keeps one of its two tests secret. Tue, 20 Oct 2026 07:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryspotifyroyaltiesai-musicstreaming-fraud https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/warner-halley-records-artists-keep-masters https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/warner-halley-records-artists-keep-masters Warner Music Spain has bought all of Halley Records, the Barcelona label behind Oques Grasses and Els Catarres. One outlet says Halley's licensing model leaves the masters with the artists, but no one else has confirmed it, and that question decides what Warner has actually bought. Mon, 19 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrylabelsacquisitionsmasterswarner-musichalley-recordscatalan-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/musixmatch-acquires-music-reports-songdex https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/musixmatch-acquires-music-reports-songdex The lyrics company has made its first acquisition in 16 years, buying the owner of the Songdex copyright registry, the Blokur matching platform and Cuetrak. Better matching could pay writers money they are owed today. It also puts a large share of the industry's rights data inside one private-equity-backed company. Mon, 19 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryroyaltiesmetadatamusixmatch https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/sia-sells-half-catalogue-pophouse-180m https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/sia-sells-half-catalogue-pophouse-180m Pophouse, the ABBA-linked investment firm, has bought 50% of Sia's publishing and master rights. TMZ first reported a $180 million price from divorce documents and Rolling Stone says it confirmed the figure, but neither party has disclosed it. A half sale keeps Sia in the room, and we think that is the real product Pophouse is buying. Sun, 18 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrycatalogue-salespublishingmasterspophousesia https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/live-nation-after-the-verdict https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/live-nation-after-the-verdict Six months after a jury found Live Nation and Ticketmaster liable for monopolisation, the judge had not ruled, as far as we could find, on throwing out the verdict, and the federal settlement is still under review. A new filing says President Trump briefly appeared at the March meeting where it was agreed. For working artists, ticket fees matter less than whether Live Nation can keep tying its promotion to the venues it controls. Sat, 17 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrylive-musicantitrustticketmaster https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/indian-labels-dsps-no-royalties-ai-slop https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/indian-labels-dsps-no-royalties-ai-slop Saregama's managing director Vikram Mehra says labels in India and globally are working with the three leading streaming services so that purely AI-generated music gets no share of the royalty pool. The principle protects human artists, but it leaves open who draws the line, how AI-assisted work is treated, and who keeps the money that slop no longer earns. Fri, 16 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicindustryroyaltiesstreamingindiasaregama https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ftc-ticketmaster-bots-act-case-survives-dismissal https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ftc-ticketmaster-bots-act-case-survives-dismissal On 28 September 2026 a federal judge in Los Angeles refused to throw out the FTC and seven states' case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster over broker-friendly ticket limits and drip pricing. That isn't a finding that the companies broke the law. It does let the case go ahead on the theory that a ticket platform can be liable under the BOTS Act for reselling tickets brokers got around its limits to buy, and that theory is the part of the ruling artists should care about. Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryticketingbots-actticketmasterartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/phonorecords-v-streaming-rate-proposals-2028-2032 https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/phonorecords-v-streaming-rate-proposals-2028-2032 Publishers want a 20% headline streaming mechanical rate for 2028 to 2032. Spotify, Apple, Google and Pandora want to keep 15.35%, and Amazon wants it cut to 13.4%. Meanwhile, a deal on CD, vinyl and download rates, struck mostly by labels and their sister publishers, is being challenged by the independent songwriters it left out. Thu, 15 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrysongwritersroyaltiescrbstreamingmechanicals https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ai-native-labels-soundbreak-finesse2tymes-grai-massivemusic https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/ai-native-labels-soundbreak-finesse2tymes-grai-massivemusic GRAI signed two deals with Songtradr's MassiveMusic on 15 Oct 2026, one to stream catalogue and one to train a model on an opt-in dataset. SoundBreak was reported to be adding Memphis rapper Finesse2Tymes as an AI co-writer. AI companies are taking on label jobs, and the consent sits with whoever holds the rights, not always the artist. Thu, 15 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryai-musiclicensingartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/umg-label-exec-exits-central-ai-data-team https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/umg-label-exec-exits-central-ai-data-team Universal Music Group's final round of 2024-planned cost cuts removed the heads of Def Jam, Republic and Polydor and two senior Interscope Geffen A&M A&R executives, while UMG says it is "bringing in new skills and technology". UMG has not tied the cuts to AI, but the people it hired this year are data and machine-learning specialists, and that changes who speaks for an artist inside a major. Thu, 15 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryumglabelsa-and-rdata https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/uk-festival-cancellations-2026-independent-squeeze https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/uk-festival-cancellations-2026-independent-squeeze The Association of Independent Festivals' tracker lists 41 UK festivals cancelled, postponed, paused or closed in 2026, against 43 in all of 2025. Big events sold out fast this summer while the losses fell mostly on smaller festivals, the tier where emerging artists get their festival slots. AIF's main ask, extending a VAT cut on family tickets, would do little for most of them. Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryfestivalslive-musicuk https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/melodifestivalen-2027-4077-entries-no-ai-ban https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/melodifestivalen-2027-4077-entries-no-ai-ban SVT received a record 4,077 entries for Melodifestivalen 2027, suspects a growing share were made with AI, has no way to detect them and won't ban them. Its rules only demand that the lead artist sings live. Greece's broadcaster went the other way, with a written AI ban and a sworn declaration from every writer. Mon, 12 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryai-musiceurovisionsongwriting https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/suno-songkick-controller-live-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/suno-songkick-controller-live-music Suno has hired Ticketmaster's Michael Chua to run a new "Live Experiences" team that includes Songkick, whose user data Suno now controls. An AI company that is still being sued by two major labels now owns a map of which human artists fans want to see live, and where those fans are. Artists should know what that data can be used for. Fri, 09 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrysunosongkicklive-musicfan-dataai-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/michael-smith-sentence-copyright-office-fraud-inquiry https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/michael-smith-sentence-copyright-office-fraud-inquiry Michael Smith, who used AI-generated songs and bot accounts to drain streaming royalty pools, was sentenced to 18 months and ordered to forfeit about 8.09 million dollars. The next day the US Copyright Office published a public inquiry into streaming fraud, with comments due 23 Nov 2026. For artists it is the first official place to put on record what fraud costs them. Tue, 06 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrystreaming-fraudai-musiccopyright-officeroyalties https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/brexit-eu-touring-2026-visas-cabotage-carnets-checklist https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/brexit-eu-touring-2026-visas-cabotage-carnets-checklist Ten months into 2026, the core rules for a UK band playing the EU are the ones that applied in 2021. Brussels has floated longer short stays for touring artists, MPs have asked for a deal, and a youth scheme is still being negotiated, but none of it changes the 90/180-day clock, the van limits or the carnet. Here is where things stand, and a checklist built only from official guidance. Mon, 05 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrytouringbrexitlive-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/avex-buys-85-percent-s10-entertainment https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/avex-buys-85-percent-s10-entertainment Avex has raised its stake in Brandon Silverstein's S10 Entertainment to 85%, trade press report, with a path to full ownership. The real story is the playbook. A Japanese company is buying a US manager's relationships to get its own acts heard abroad, and S10's clients now have a manager owned by a label, publisher and live business. Thu, 01 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryartist-managementavexj-popacquisitions https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/ditto-74-percent-independent-artists-under-1000 https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/ditto-74-percent-independent-artists-under-1000 Ditto Music surveyed 5,039 self-releasing artists in 112 countries, and 74% said they earned less than $1,000 from music last year. Putting a song out is now cheap and easy. Getting paid for it is still hard, and the people answering the survey are Ditto's own customers. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryindependent-artistsartist-incomestreaming https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/africa-streaming-growth-outpaces-royalty-collection https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/africa-streaming-growth-outpaces-royalty-collection Sub-Saharan Africa's recorded music revenues grew 15.2% in 2025 to $120 million, and digital income grew faster still. But South Africa takes 78.1% of that, collecting societies across the continent took in only €90 million in 2024, and nobody publishes fraud rates for African markets. For African artists the growth is real; the plumbing that turns plays into payments is not keeping up. Sat, 26 Sep 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryroyaltiesstreamingstreaming-fraudafricanigeriasouth-africaifpicisacartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/publishing-deals-admin-co-pub-full-publishing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/publishing-deals-admin-co-pub-full-publishing A publishing deal decides who owns part of your song, who registers it, and for how long. Admin deals leave ownership with you for a fee. Co-pub and full publishing deals trade a share of the copyright for an advance and a team. Here is how the money splits, how long the rights stay away, and why the catalogue sales of 2026 make ownership the part to guard. Fri, 25 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrypublishingsongwritersroyaltiesexplainer https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spain-official-charts-ai-eligibility-rules-promusicae-agedi https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spain-official-charts-ai-eligibility-rules-promusicae-agedi Promusicae and AGEDI, which compile Spain's official charts, have adopted IFPI's principles for recordings made with generative AI. A track can chart only if it is substantially human made, made with an authorised AI service and labelled for listeners. None of those terms is defined, and the Spanish announcement mentions no way to appeal. Thu, 24 Sep 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicartist-rightsindustrychartsspainpromusicaeagediifpi https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/landr-fake-streams-down-95-percent-distributor-screening https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/landr-fake-streams-down-95-percent-distributor-screening LANDR says artificial streams flagged by Spotify across its catalogue fell 95% between Q1 2025 and Q2 2026, and it is now screening releases before they reach streaming services. The figure is company-reported with no base disclosed, and it says nothing about honest artists caught by the same filters. Thu, 24 Sep 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrystreaming-frauddistributorsspotify https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/360-deals-vs-distribution-vs-label-services https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/360-deals-vs-distribution-vs-label-services A distributor licenses your music for a fee and takes nothing else. A label-services company licenses your masters for a few years and keeps a larger cut. A traditional label usually owns the masters and pays you a royalty, and a 360 deal adds a share of touring, merch and other income on top. Here is what each one takes, in one table, and when each makes sense for an independent artist. Tue, 22 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryrecord-dealsartist-rightsroyalties https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/neighbouring-rights-explained-ppl-indie-artists https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/neighbouring-rights-explained-ppl-indie-artists When a recording is played on radio, on TV or in a shop, collecting societies like PPL in the UK pay the master owner and the performers on it. Self-releasing artists can be owed both halves, but only once they register. Here is how it works, why US performers mostly miss out abroad, and a checklist. Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryroyaltiesneighbouring-rightsperformers https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/anghami-arabic-summer-hamaki-mena-streaming-economy https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/anghami-arabic-summer-hamaki-mena-streaming-economy Anghami says summer 2026 was one of its strongest for Arabic music, led by Mohamed Hamaki's album with 71 million streams and 18 of its Top 20 chart slots. Behind the charts is a company whose US$99.3m revenue and 3.5 million paid subscribers include a video service, and whose growth runs through telcos, device bundles and exclusives. Here is what that means for independent Arabic artists. Wed, 16 Sep 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrystreaminganghamimenaarabic-musicindependent-artistsbundles https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/umg-distrokid-ai-slop-takedowns https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/umg-distrokid-ai-slop-takedowns Universal Music Group sued DistroKid in Delaware on 15 Sep 2026, calling it an "AI-slop pipeline" and citing one account that released 4,562 tracks in a year. DistroKid has since confirmed it removed "a very small number" of recordings in response to UMG's claims, and independent artists say original and licensed work went with them, with no notice and no clear way to appeal. Tue, 15 Sep 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrydistrokidumgtakedownsai-musiclegal https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/recoupment-explained-why-a-hit-can-leave-you-unrecouped https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/recoupment-explained-why-a-hit-can-leave-you-unrecouped A record advance is paid back out of your royalty share, not your bank account, so at a 20% royalty a $50,000 advance needs about $250,000 of revenue before you see another cent. Here is the arithmetic, what cross-collateralization and recoupable costs do to it, and what to negotiate before you sign. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryroyaltiesrecord-dealsartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/believe-tunecore-blocked-suno-then-distributed-it https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/believe-tunecore-blocked-suno-then-distributed-it In April, Believe called Suno a "pirate studio" and said its detector could spot Suno tracks with 99% reliability. On 8 Sep 2026 it signed a global partnership to distribute music from Suno's new licensed model. The output didn't change category because of the technology. It changed because of a contract artists weren't party to. Tue, 08 Sep 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrydistributionai-musicsunobelieve https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spotify-bundle-mlc-ruling https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spotify-bundle-mlc-ruling A New York federal judge has refused to let the Mechanical Licensing Collective appeal early against the ruling that Spotify Premium is a "bundle" with audiobooks, which lets Spotify pay US songwriters a lower mechanical rate. The judge also threw out Spotify's "unclean hands" defence. Songwriters now wait for the whole case to finish, even though subscription prices rose again in February. Mon, 07 Sep 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryspotifysongwritersroyaltiesmlc https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spotify-streamshare-explained-no-per-stream-rate https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spotify-streamshare-explained-no-per-stream-rate Spotify pays rights holders a share of each country's monthly royalty pool, in proportion to their share of streams there. The "per-stream rate" is a number worked out afterwards, which is why it moves by country and month, and why your deal matters more than the rate. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrystreamingspotifyroyalties https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/youtube-shorts-music-revenue-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/youtube-shorts-music-revenue-explained Shorts don't pay per play. YouTube pools Shorts Feed ad money each month, takes out a music share for every Short that uses a licensed track, and the music share reaches artists only through a label or distributor. Here is the maths, with YouTube's own worked example, and what to check in your statements. Fri, 04 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryyoutubeshortsroyaltiesexplainer https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spotify-artificial-streaming-penalty-fee-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spotify-artificial-streaming-penalty-fee-explained Since April 2024 Spotify has charged labels and distributors a fee per track when it finds flagrant artificial streaming, and the big distributors pass it straight to artists, at about €10 per flagged track per month. Here is how the penalty works, how artists who never bought a bot get caught, and how to vet a promoter before you pay one. Thu, 03 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrystreamingspotifyartificial-streaming https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/canada-drops-streamer-contribution-music-funds https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/canada-drops-streamer-contribution-music-funds Ottawa has told the Federal Court of Appeal it plans to scrap the rule that large foreign streamers pay 5% of their Canadian revenue into Canadian content funds, and replace it with government money. The 31 August payment date came and went with no new transfers. For music, that means FACTOR, Musicaction and the funds behind early-career artists swap a levy that grew with streaming for a budget line that can be cut. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrypolicycanadastreamingartist-fundingspotify https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spotify-discovery-mode-explained-commission-payola https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spotify-discovery-mode-explained-commission-payola Discovery Mode lets you flag songs for Spotify Radio, Autoplay and some Mixes, and Spotify keeps 30% of the recording royalties from streams there. Here is the maths on when that pays, and why a listener lawsuit calling it payola went to private arbitration instead. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrystreamingspotifyroyalties https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spotify-india-loud-and-clear-2026-regional-royalties https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/spotify-india-loud-and-clear-2026-regional-royalties Spotify's India Loud & Clear report says royalties generated by Indian artists rose 29% in 2025, led by Telugu (up more than 120%), with over 40% of that money coming from listeners abroad. At home, only about 14.4 million of India's 178 million audio streamers pay, so how much of the growth reaches regional independents depends on their deals and their publishing paperwork. Wed, 02 Sep 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryindiaspotifyroyaltiesstreamingregional-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/bmg-concord-combination-independent-heavyweight https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/bmg-concord-combination-independent-heavyweight BMG and Concord completed their combination on 1 Sep 2026, creating a company with more than four million works, $2.2 billion in pro forma revenue and a target to grow profit far faster than sales. For artists and songwriters, scale may bring investment, but it also removes one of the few large buyers that wasn't a major. Tue, 01 Sep 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrypublishingcataloguesconsolidationbmgconcord https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/japan-record-market-h1-2026-streaming-46-percent-vinyl-up-42 https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/japan-record-market-h1-2026-streaming-46-percent-vinyl-up-42 Japan's recorded music market grew to an estimated ¥196.5 billion in the first half of 2026, up 4%, and streaming made up 46% of it. CDs fell 11% to ¥72.0 billion and vinyl rose 42%, but physical formats together still slightly outsold digital. For international indies, Japan remains the one big market where the plastic you press can matter as much as the playlist you land on. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryjapanriajstreamingphysical-mediacdvinylindependent-artists https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/kenya-mcsk-barred-collecting-royalties-kecobo-kamp https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/kenya-mcsk-barred-collecting-royalties-kecobo-kamp Kenya's High Court has barred the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) from collecting royalties while it appeals the regulator's refusal to license it, weeks after another society, KAMP, had its licence suspended, and days before the regulator dissolved KAMP's board. Collection now runs through one licensed society, and some of the money is frozen. A draft copyright bill would change how a suspension like this works. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsindustryroyaltiescollective-managementkenyamcskkecobo https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/soundcloud-follower-exclusives-zero-commission-sales https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/soundcloud-follower-exclusives-zero-commission-sales SoundCloud has added two tools for an artist's core fans in 2026, follower-only releases and a US beta of direct track sales on which it takes no commission. Against Bandcamp's published 15% digital fee, the sales offer looks strong, but SoundCloud hasn't yet said what the "fees" it deducts add up to, and the tools sit behind a paid Artist Pro plan. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrysoundcloudbandcampsuperfansdirect-to-fan https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/stability-ai-76m-round-all-three-majors https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/stability-ai-76m-round-all-three-majors Universal, Sony and Warner all took equity in Stability AI's $76M Series B on 25 Aug 2026. The labels are now licensors, development partners and shareholders of the same AI company, and none of the announcements says how artists share in any of those roles. Tue, 25 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryfundingai-musicstability-ailabels https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/royalty-map-pros-mlc-soundexchange-distributor https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/royalty-map-pros-mlc-soundexchange-distributor One stream on Spotify or one play on digital radio can owe money to four different bodies, and none of them pays you unless you have registered with it. Here is which organisation collects which royalty, plus a registration checklist for artists in India, the UK and the US. Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryroyaltiesartist-rightssongwriterscollecting-societies https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/musicians-mental-health-numbers-where-to-get-help https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/musicians-mental-health-numbers-where-to-get-help The best UK data says three in ten musicians report poor mental wellbeing, and the share roughly doubles between the best-paid and the worst-paid. Music Minds Matter is running a new study in 2026. Here is what the numbers show, what they can't show, and the free helplines open to anyone working in music. Tue, 18 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrymental-healthmusiciansartist-incomehelp-musicians https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/vinyl-300-copy-run-tariffs-break-even-2026 https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/vinyl-300-copy-run-tariffs-break-even-2026 US vinyl passed $1 billion in wholesale value in 2025, but the US tariff system still taxes the inputs a pressing plant buys more than the finished records it competes with. We set out what a 300-copy run costs on published price lists, and an illustrative worksheet showing where an independent artist breaks even. Fri, 14 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryvinyltariffsphysical-mediaindependent-artists https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/us-artist-visa-costs-2026-o1-p1-fees https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/us-artist-visa-costs-2026-o1-p1-fees A four-piece band now pays about $5,400 in US government fees before it plays a note, and most of that is premium processing that waits of nearly a year make hard to avoid. We add up the O and P visa bill from USCIS and State Department sources, and look at who it shuts out. Thu, 13 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryartist-rightstouringvisasimmigration https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/spotify-marquee-showcase-discovery-mode-compared https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/spotify-marquee-showcase-discovery-mode-compared Spotify sells promotion three ways: two click-priced display formats and a commission on royalties. Here is what each costs, who can use it, and the numbers that tell you whether it paid off, including the break-even point Spotify's own reports leave out. Thu, 13 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryspotifymarketingstreamingguides https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/sync-ai-era-clean-chain-of-title https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/sync-ai-era-clean-chain-of-title AI tracks are flooding the cheap end of production music, but a music supervisor can't clear or insure a cue whose authorship and training data nobody can document. Here is how sync money works, and why well-documented human catalogues are gaining value. Thu, 06 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrysynclicensingaimusic-supervisorscopyright https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/saregama-ai-music-videos-old-catalogue https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/saregama-ai-music-videos-old-catalogue Saregama owns the songs and recordings for much of Hindi cinema's 1960s and 1970s music, but not the film clips that went with them. It now uses generative AI to make new videos for those songs, and to rework some for younger listeners, while it still argues against unlicensed AI. The label hasn't said whether the original singers' or composers' estates get any say. Wed, 05 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicartist-rightsindustrycataloguemusic-videosaregamaopenaiindia https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/soundexchange-explained-digital-radio-royalties https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/soundexchange-explained-digital-radio-royalties SoundExchange collects US royalties when recordings play on non-interactive digital services such as SiriusXM, Pandora and iHeartRadio. Registration is free and open to artists outside the US, but unclaimed money expires after three years, and self-releasing artists who register only as performers leave the larger share behind. Tue, 04 Aug 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrysoundexchangeroyaltiesartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/music-venue-properties-pipeline-tenth-venue-freehold https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/music-venue-properties-pipeline-tenth-venue-freehold Music Venue Properties, the charitable community benefit society set up by Music Venue Trust, has bought The Pipeline in Brighton, the tenth grassroots venue secured through its Own Our Venues campaign. The model swaps a commercial landlord for a charitable one. That removes the property risk behind more than a third of venue closures, but it does nothing for the thin margins behind most of the rest. Tue, 04 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrylive-musicvenuesuk https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/india-concert-boom-indie-musicians https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/india-concert-boom-indie-musicians EY puts India's live events growth at 44% in 2025, and a new EY-IMI report expects paid music subscriptions to roughly double by 2028. A small survey of non-film musicians suggests most of that money is skipping the independent circuit. Fri, 24 Jul 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryindialive-musicindependent-artists https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/uk-grassroots-venues-mvt-2025-report-ticket-levy https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/uk-grassroots-venues-mvt-2025-report-ticket-levy Music Venue Trust's 2025 annual report counts 801 UK grassroots venues trading, down from 810, the smallest fall since 2018, but more than half made no profit and jobs fell by almost a fifth. The voluntary £1 levy on shows over 5,000 capacity covered 8.8% of arena and stadium tickets in 2025, and its first payouts (£500,000 on 28 January 2026, £1m more in July) are small against a £76.6m live-music loss. Fri, 24 Jul 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrylive-musicgrassroots-venuesuk https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/bts-arirang-korea-export-rank-korean-language-share-flat https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/bts-arirang-korea-export-rank-korean-language-share-flat Luminate's 2026 midyear report puts South Korea third in its Export Power Rankings, up from fourth in 2025, and credits BTS's ARIRANG. The same report shows Korean-language songs holding steady at 1.1% of US streams, and ARIRANG's US success running on CD sales more than streams. One comeback can move a country's ranking without changing what most listeners choose to play, and that matters for every act not singing in English. Wed, 15 Jul 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryk-popsouth-koreastreamingluminateglobal-discovery https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/sony-buys-hipgnosis-recognition-catalogue-songwriters https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/sony-buys-hipgnosis-recognition-catalogue-songwriters Sony Music Publishing has closed its purchase of Recognition Music Group's 45,000-song catalogue, the former Hipgnosis portfolio, at a price reported at $3.5 billion to $4 billion. For the writers whose shares are inside it, the songs are now with their third owner, and each sale has taken them further from the people who wrote them. Wed, 15 Jul 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrypublishingcataloguessongwriterssony https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/primary-wave-closes-kobalt-deal-what-clients-should-check https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/primary-wave-closes-kobalt-deal-what-clients-should-check Primary Wave has completed its purchase of Kobalt, reportedly for around $1.5 billion. The publisher known for transparent admin now belongs to a company whose main business is buying song catalogues, and that changes the questions Kobalt's clients should be asking. Tue, 07 Jul 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrypublishingkobaltprimary-waveacquisitions https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/distrokid-cvc-majority-stake-private-equity https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/distrokid-cvc-majority-stake-private-equity CVC Capital Partners has agreed to take a majority stake in DistroKid, with Insight Partners keeping a minority and Phil Bauer staying as president. For artists on a flat yearly fee, the questions are price, add-ons, and how a new owner handles fraud and takedowns. Mon, 06 Jul 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrydistributiondistrokidprivate-equity https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/native-instruments-inmusic-kontakt-licences https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/native-instruments-inmusic-kontakt-licences The sale of insolvent Native Instruments took effect on 1 July 2026: inMusic took the core business and Boris FX took iZotope. NI says existing licences are unaffected, but its products need online activation and its new owner has already cut staff, so producers should plan for the licence server, not the press release. Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrymusic-technative-instrumentsinmusiclicensing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/spotify-music-pro-reserved-tickets-superfan-artists https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/spotify-music-pro-reserved-tickets-superfan-artists Spotify's reported "Music Pro" superfan add-on, at up to $5.99 a month extra, has still not launched in the West. Instead, Reserved went live in the US on 18 June 2026: two tickets per tour held for top fans, inside ordinary Premium, through Live Nation. Here is what is confirmed, what is only reported, and what artists can actually do. Thu, 18 Jun 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryspotifyticketingsuperfanslive-nation https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/anime-japan-music-export-iris-out-ado https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/anime-japan-music-export-iris-out-ado Kenshi Yonezu's anime film theme "IRIS OUT" topped Billboard JAPAN's first-half 2026 chart after reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Global 200, the highest yet for a Japanese-language song. Japan's trade ministry puts the music industry's 2024 overseas income at ¥72.58bn, and most of the money it can trace arrives as streams, not sync fees. The lesson for artists anywhere is that a placement is where discovery starts, and the money comes later. Fri, 05 Jun 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryjapanj-popanimesyncstreamingtouring https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/tidal-direct-to-fan-sales-square-bandcamp-alternative https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/06/tidal-direct-to-fan-sales-square-bandcamp-alternative TIDAL now lets independent artists in the US sell tracks and albums through TIDAL Upload, with payments run by Square and 90% of each sale going to the artist before processing fees and taxes. Uploads earn no streaming royalties, so for a DIY artist on TIDAL a sale is the main way to get paid. On fees alone it undercuts Bandcamp for newer sellers, but it is US-only, digital-only and has no fan community yet. Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrytidaldirect-to-fanbandcampindependent-artists https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/brazil-mexico-spotify-royalties-2025-loud-and-clear https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/brazil-mexico-spotify-royalties-2025-loud-and-clear Spotify says Brazilian artists generated about R$2bn on the service in 2025 and Mexican artists about MX$8.2bn. Both numbers are real growth, but they measure money paid to rights holders, not to artists, and Mexico's headline "more than half from abroad" is close to Spotify's own global average. Mon, 11 May 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryspotifyroyaltiesartist-rightsstreamingbrazilmexicolatin-america https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/blue-dot-fever-arena-tour-cancellations https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/blue-dot-fever-arena-tour-cancellations Pussycat Dolls, Meghan Trainor, Zayn and Post Malone with Jelly Roll all cut US dates this spring as unsold seats showed up as blue dots on Ticketmaster maps. Live Nation says demand is at record levels, so the real story is which tours were sized and priced past their audience, and who absorbs the loss when they fold. Thu, 07 May 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrytouringlive-musicticket-prices https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/komplete-26-year-names-absynth-returns-izotope-split https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/komplete-26-year-names-absynth-returns-izotope-split Native Instruments released Komplete 26 on 5 May 2026, renaming the bundle by year and putting Absynth back in it, three days before inMusic agreed to buy the company. The bundle is still good value, but iZotope, whose plugins are part of every paid edition, now belongs to a different buyer. Tue, 05 May 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers releasesnative-instrumentspluginsindustry https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/los-campesinos-tour-accounts-merch https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/05/los-campesinos-tour-accounts-merch Los Campesinos! itemised every cost of their 2024 North American tour. On ticket income alone the 11 shows lost about £2,000; merch turned that into a profit of roughly £38,000, which pays for the band's next project, not wages. That is why venue merch cuts decide whether tours like this work. Tue, 05 May 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrytouringmerchlos-campesinos https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/04/indonesia-lmkn-royalty-distribution-2026-live-streams https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/04/indonesia-lmkn-royalty-distribution-2026-live-streams Indonesia's national royalty body, LMKN, has issued 2026 distribution rules that pay first on reported usage data and give a capped fallback allocation to members whose songs never show up in the logs. The same body says music in TikTok and YouTube live streams can owe royalties. For songwriters, getting your songs into the data now decides more of what you're paid. Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryartist-rightsroyaltieslive-streamingcollective-managementindonesialmknasean https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/04/ftc-junk-fee-rule-stubhub-10m-ticket-act-stalled https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/04/ftc-junk-fee-rule-stubhub-10m-ticket-act-stalled StubHub has agreed to pay $10 million to settle FTC charges that it hid mandatory fees in the three days after the FTC's fee rule took effect on 12 May 2025. That rule already makes all-in pricing the law for US live-event tickets. The TICKET Act, which would add a ban on speculative tickets and refund rights, passed the House 409-15 almost a year ago and still has no Senate vote. For artists, the rule changes what fans see, not what they pay or who gets the money. Fri, 10 Apr 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrylive-musicticketingftc https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/03/deezer-artist-centric-model-fy25-who-gains https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/03/deezer-artist-centric-model-fy25-who-gains Deezer reported €8.5 million of net income for 2025, which it calls its first positive net income, and credits its artist-centric payment model among its strengths. The model weights streams by who the artist is and how the fan found the track. We explain the rules, who gains and who loses, and why the profit says little about whether artists are better off. Wed, 18 Mar 2026 17:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrydeezerroyaltiesstreamingartist-centric https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/03/ifpi-2026-global-music-map-regional-growth https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/03/ifpi-2026-global-music-map-regional-growth IFPI says recorded music revenue grew 6.4% to US$31.7bn in 2025, with growth in every region and Latin America fastest at 17.1%. The percentages point to the Global South, but the dollars still mostly come from the US, Canada and Europe, and the fast-growing regions grew more slowly than a year earlier. Here is how an independent artist should read the map. Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industryifpistreamingindependent-artistslatin-americaafricamenaroyalties https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/03/nigeria-spotify-60-billion-naira-per-stream-gap https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/03/nigeria-spotify-60-billion-naira-per-stream-gap Spotify says Nigerian artists generated more than ₦60bn on its service in 2025 from 30.3 billion streams. The total is real, but roughly ₦2 a stream and a Premium price near $1 a month suggest much of that money comes from listeners abroad. Spotify's plan is to sign up more payers, not raise prices. Mon, 16 Mar 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrystreamingnigeriaroyaltiesspotify https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/03/tiktok-apple-music-play-full-song https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/03/tiktok-apple-music-play-full-song TikTok and Apple Music launched Play Full Song on 11 Mar 2026, letting Apple Music subscribers hear a whole track inside TikTok through Apple's MusicKit, so the play is paid as an Apple Music stream. The 15-second clip in the feed still isn't a stream, the feature is exclusive to Apple, and Spotify listeners still only get a save button. Wed, 11 Mar 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrystreamingtiktokapple-musicroyalties https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/02/universal-owns-cd-baby-fuga-songtrust-downtown-deal-closed https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/02/universal-owns-cd-baby-fuga-songtrust-downtown-deal-closed Virgin Music Group, part of Universal, completed its $775 million purchase of Downtown on 20 Feb 2026, a week after EU regulators cleared it on condition that one unit, the Curve royalty platform, be sold. CD Baby, FUGA and Songtrust now belong to a major label group, and the regulator's scrutiny of data stopped at Curve. Fri, 20 Feb 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrydistributionpublishinguniversal-music-groupcd-baby https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/02/hook-raises-10m-licensed-fan-remixes https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/02/hook-raises-10m-licensed-fan-remixes Hook, an app for licensed fan remixes and mashups, has raised a $10 million Series A led by Khosla Ventures. The pitch is that every remix pays the people who own the song, but the Hook announcements we read, going back to 2023, don't say how much, how often, or how an artist says no. Wed, 18 Feb 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers fundingindustryremixlicensingugc https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/05/taylor-swift-masters-buyback-lessons-for-artists https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/05/taylor-swift-masters-buyback-lessons-for-artists Taylor Swift has bought back the master recordings of her first six albums from Shamrock Capital, for a price Billboard's sources put at around $360 million. Most artists can't buy their way out of a bad deal, so the useful lessons are in the contract clauses that made the six-year fight necessary. Fri, 30 May 2025 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsindustrymastersre-recordingcontracts