Dylan Smith

Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE) Officially Sets Sail

April 20, 2020

Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE) has officially started trading as a standalone company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The division’s debut on the public market follows a long-in-the-works ... Read More...

African Music Company Africori Inks Investment Deal with Warner Music

Dylan Smith

April 20, 2020

Alfonso Perez Soto, Warner Music's EVP of Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Warner Music Group (WMG) has invested in Africori, a leading digital music platform for African artists and record labels. W... Read More...

California Agrees to Amend AB5 Restrictions for Gigging Musicians

Dylan Smith

April 17, 2020

The California State Capitol Building, in Sacramento. (photo: Coolcaesar) The California Legislature and leading music industry organizations have agreed to revise portions of Assembly Bill 5 (AB5). The modif... Read More...

AEG Offers Full Refunds on Postponed Shows Starting May 1st

Dylan Smith

April 17, 2020

Coachella owner AEG Presents is officially refunding fans for tickets to postponed events, a move that follows heavy pressure from ticket-buying fans. Beginning on May 1st, AEG will open a 30-day-... Read More...

DaBaby Wears a Surgical Mask on His New Album Cover

Dylan Smith

April 17, 2020

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DaBaby, clad in a surgical mask, on the cover of his third studio album, Blame It on Baby. Rapper DaBaby dropped his third studio album, Blame It on Baby, today. The album's suited-for-the-times cover art con... Read More...

Rüfüs Du Sol Insists on Canceling, Not Rescheduling, Its Upcoming Shows So Fans Can Get Refunds

Dylan Smith

April 17, 2020

Rüfüs du Sol In response to the widespread controversy and criticism surrounding ticketing platforms’ COVID-19 refund policies, Australian dance group Rüfüs Du Sol has opted to cancel—not postpone—each of its... Read More...

Federal Judge Dismisses Class-Action Lawsuit Against Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster Faces Possible Criminal Investigation In New York State; Members of Congress Demand Answers

Dylan Smith

April 17, 2020

Earlier this week, on the heels of quiet changes to its refund-policy fine print, Ticketmaster became the target of intense fan criticism. Now, the leading ticketing platform is facing a potential criminal in... Read More...

U.S. Government Pumps Over $8 Billion Into ‘Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, and Information’ Sectors

Dylan Smith

April 16, 2020

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(photo: Tim Mossholder) The U.S. government's Paycheck Protection Program has distributed over $8 billion to businesses operating in the arts, entertainment, recreation, and 'information' sectors, according t... Read More...

Is Liberty Media Too Powerful? Artist, Consumer Groups Oppose iHeartMedia Acquisition

Dylan Smith

April 16, 2020

The Liberty Media logo. Several artist and consumer-rights groups have written to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to voice their disapproval and criticism of the potential Liberty Media-iHeartMedia acquisitio... Read More...

Now That’s What I Call Music! Launches a Free Tier On Its Hit-Driven Streaming Service

Dylan Smith

April 16, 2020

(photo: Now That's What I Call Music!) The UK-based Now That's What I Call Music! has released a free, ad-supported tier on its music-streaming service, the Now Music App. Company officials announced the fre... Read More...

Billy McFarland Must Now Pay $3 Million with Interest over Unpaid Fyre Festival Loan

Fyre Festival Founder Billy McFarland Requests Early Prison Release on Coronavirus Fears

Dylan Smith

April 16, 2020

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Billy McFarland, who is currently serving a six-year sentence for masterminding the ill-fated Fyre Festival, has requested an early release from prison because of COVID-19 concerns. McFarland and his legal t... Read More...

Rihanna, Jay-Z, Twitter CEO Join Forces to Fund $6.2 Million In COVID-19 Grants

Dylan Smith

April 15, 2020

Image by jianjun-xu (CC by 2.0) Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, Jay-Z’s Shawn Carter Foundation, and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey have jointly pledged $6.2 million to coronavirus (COVID-19) relief. In an offi... Read More...

Author Dylan Smith