Amid an uncertain economic climate and cooling industry funding, how are catalog acquisitions faring in 2024? We crunched the numbers to see where the space is positioned and where it could be heading during the rest of the year. This latest check-in on the song-rights arena is made possible by our Music IP Acquisition Tracker, a comprehensive, searchable database of catalog deals large and small. From the Hipgnosis Songs Fund bidding war to Pophouse Entertainment’s reportedly $300 million acquisition ... Read More...

Make no mistake, music publishers aren't thrilled about Spotify's big shift towards bundled offerings. NMPA head David Israelite has condemned in no uncertain terms Spotify’s “perversion of the settlement” behind Phonorecords IV, making clear as well that “all options” are on the table when it comes to pushing back against the “potentially unlawful” change. And the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) has likewise decried the “deeply cynical move.” Others are far less concerned. Book p... Read More...

About one week after reporting positive Q1 2024 financials, Live Nation has kicked off its “Concert Week” promotion, offering fans $25 tickets to shows from acts including Avril Lavigne, Dierks Bentley, and Pitbull. For a company that’s faced ample pricing criticism from both customers and lawmakers, what exactly does the promotion mean? To date, that question has received relatively little attention in the media, where the spotlight remains on Live Nation’s increasingly strong earnings, Concert Week i... Read More...

The data is both encouraging or depressing — and the landscape is more complicated than ever. But where does radio stand in 2024, given a quick-evolving streaming landscape and an increasingly digital music space? Six experts tackled the complex question and discussed the medium’s path forward during our latest DMN Pro event. Here are some of the takeaways. If radio is dead, listeners haven't quite noticed. Nielsen, in its Radio Today report, pointed out that AM/FM reaches 91% of American adults each m... Read More...

Following a post-COVID rebound for live entertainment, are music festivals hitting their peak? That’s the question many are asking now that sellouts are eluding high-profile events including Coachella. For most concerts and festivals, failing to sell out isn’t necessarily indicative of a downturn. But in years past, fans promptly scooped up all the passes to Goldenvoice-organized Coachella – a driving factor behind the addition of a second weekend. That makes the 2024 installment’s comparatively lacklu... Read More...

X (formerly Twitter) is grappling with a copyright infringement lawsuit from 17 NMPA-corralled music publishers demanding hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. But given a number of setbacks in the case for publishers, will the Elon Musk-owned platform ever pay for the use of music?

Wall Street’s positive response to reports of additional Spotify price increases pushed shares to a 52-week high. But what would larger monthly costs mean for the platform, labels, artists, and the wider industry?

Streaming music has been booming for years. But amidst all the rapid growth, how is the accuracy of reporting and payments faring? In our latest DMN Pro Weekly report, we take an in-depth look at the data to rank today’s leading platforms on payouts and overall reporting accuracy. The results may surprise you. Report Table of Contents Introduction: Streaming’s Growth and the Corresponding Importance of Accurate Payments Graph: DSPs by 2022 Payments Accuracy Spotify’s Recent Recording Royalties... Read More...

TikTok is facing its greatest regulatory threat to date in the U.S., where lawmakers are rallying behind forced-sale legislation. TikTok says this would effectively amount to a ban in the app’s biggest market, with ripple effects impacting dozens of industries. But what exactly would a ban look like for the music industry? TikTok’s possible U.S. shutdown would bring music-specific consequences affecting licensing, supplemental artist income, promotion, discovery, fan interaction, and more. Though nothi... Read More...

Hybe kicked off March by acquiring nearly $80 million worth of SM Entertainment stock, underscoring its continued expansion ambitions following the November purchase of Exile Music. With others also diversifying amid a potential K-pop slowdown, will a global approach ensure the genre’s continued influence in the long term? What if the success of Hybe and K-pop itself isn’t dependent on BTS – or any one act, for that matter? The company (and to some extent its rivals) has now emerged as a global busines... Read More...

More than one month into the TikTok and Universal Music Group standoff, all signs point to an intensifying dispute between the companies. Here's an analysis of where the high-stakes impasse stands – and how the episode's fallout could drive a fundamental shift in the way music factors into the UGC space. It can be safely stated that February delivered little concrete progress toward a resolution for TikTok and UMG, thereby setting the stage for a possible multi-month (or longer) standoff. As a result, ... Read More...

2024’s first two months saw billions pour into music IP, with one of the largest single-catalog deals to date occurring. Amid continued streaming growth and strong listenership for the hits of yesterday, does the early momentum mark the start of a serious rebound and record-setting surge? Just how big has 2024 been for music-focused IP acquisitions? This big: north of $2 billion was spent or committed to song rights across 2024’s first two months, with high-profile plays and a record catalog valuation.... Read More...