From AI artists to Warner’s $1.2bn JV with Bain… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe five biggest stories to hit our headlines over the past seven days
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EAR CANDY: IN DA CULRB, WE ALL FAMHappy Fourth, my bass-blasting bottle rockets!This week’s playlist is serving sparklers, sweaty dance floors, and that one friend yelling “This is my song!” for every track. It’s Independence Day and In Da Clurb, We All Fam. This week’s Ear Candy is built for the moment the sun dips and the real party starts. These are club-ready cuts and beat-heavy bops that explode like fireworks—big, bright, and impossible to ignore. This is your invitation to move something...now hop to it!

Click HERE to access this week's Ear Candy.While you're there, please "Like" the playlist and "Follow" Music Connection's profile so you'll never miss the chance to listen along with MC!The post EAR CANDY: IN DA CULRB, WE ALL FAM first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Audio Modeling Announces Vision for AI EraILIO, the distributor of premier virtual instruments and audio processing software, announced its support for "partner Audio Modeling—a leader in physical modeling technology—as they unveil a forward-looking vision for music creation in the age of AI.""As generative AI tools become more prevalent, Audio Modeling reaffirms its belief in expressive, musician-led performance," they said. "To put that vision into action, they are launching a limited Public Beta Program for their newly updated SWAM Solo Strings and SWAM String Sections instruments. This limited release will give selected users early access to the next generation of expressive virtual instruments for composers and producers—featuring enhanced sonic realism, expressive nuance, and playability—while inviting feedback to help shape future development."Register for the Beta: https://forms.gle/7x1gkeDEPjVJ4MWY9To mark this moment and invite participation, Audio Modeling CEO and founder Stefano Lucato has issued the following letter to the music-making community:Dear Friends,We’re living through an extraordinary time.Technology is evolving at a breathtaking pace — thrilling, yes, but also disorienting. Every day brings breakthroughs that redefine what’s possible. And while it’s hard to predict exactly where we’re headed, one thing is becoming clear:Two very different futures are taking shape.In one, we sit back and watch as machines generate notes, phrases, even entire compositions for us — quickly, efficiently, and impersonally.In the other, we sit in the pilot’s seat. We play. We shape every phrase. We make mistakes, we discover, we connect. We catch the inspiration as it comes — and the instrument flows with us. It doesn’t just respond — it becomes part of the music’s conception. A partner, not a proxy.At Audio Modeling, we believe in this second future.We believe in expressive tools. We believe in you.And we believe that physical modeling is the technology best suited to support your creativity — because it puts nuance, control, and interaction at the center of everything.Over the past months, we’ve worked hard to make important improvements to the already impressive SWAM engine. While SWAM has always delivered unmatched expressive control, the latest versions promise a significant leap in sonic realism. The timbral quality is more organic, more nuanced, more believable — making every instrument feel even more alive, more playable, and simply more inspiring.We want to include you in our journey toward expressive excellence!Starting today, you can register for our Public Beta Program for SWAM Solo Strings and SWAM String Sections. The beta program will go live in July. We’re collecting registrations now and will begin sending out access as soon as the first beta builds are ready to test.We’re sharing these improvements early because we want your feedback. We want your ears, your ideas, your experience. But more than that — we want you to feel part of this journey. Because we truly believe this is the future of music performance and production.SWAM has always been about interaction. Now more than ever, it’s about expression. And the better the instrument responds, the more you come through.Playing is joyful. Playing is human. Playing is yours. And we’re committed to giving you instruments that feel as real, as personal, and as inspiring as the ones you fell in love with when you first started making music. They’re instruments that let you seize the moment — capturing the mood of the day, the impulse of the now, the energy of the room.Because every time you play, it’s an opportunity to say something true.The choice is yours.You can go along for the ride,Or take the driver’s seat.Register for the Beta: https://forms.gle/7x1gkeDEPjVJ4MWY9Warm regards,Stefano LucatoCEO & Founder – Audio ModelingThe post Audio Modeling Announces Vision for AI Era first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

MBW’s Music Business UK Awards to return to London this November, supported by YouTubeAs with previous years, the MBUK Awards will recognize the brightest and best of the UK and international music business.
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MIDiA Global Music Forecast: Recorded Revenue RecalibratesThe global music industry is entering a new era of change and uncertainty. Explore an overview of the MIDiA Global Music Forecast, an in-depth 83-page report, built on detailed data and expert analysis that forecasts where the music business is headed next.
The post MIDiA Global Music Forecast: Recorded Revenue Recalibrates appeared first on Hypebot.

Beats+Bytes 2025 Halftime Report: Music & Culture In ChaosThe Nue Agency's mid-year culture report is out now. The Beats+Bytes 2025 Halftime Report looks at how everything from politics to culture is changing how smart marketers market including key recorded and live music takeaways.
The post Beats+Bytes 2025 Halftime Report: Music & Culture In Chaos appeared first on Hypebot.

Live Music News: UK Ticket Probe • Bonnaroo • Ticketplus • More
Get the latest Live Music News under the Live Industry News tab above.

The post Live Music News: UK Ticket Probe • Bonnaroo • Ticketplus • More appeared first on Hypebot.

I was a co-founder of IMPALA. It saddens me to see how rabidly anti-major it’s become.Kenny Gates responds to claims made by IMPALA about Universal and Downtown
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Braiden Sunshine Joins TELEFUNKEN’s “Live From The Lab” SeriesTELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik, known for its high-end microphones and dedication to audio excellence, has added another compelling performance to its Live From The Lab series—this time featuring singer-songwriter Braiden Sunshine.Based in South Windsor, Connecticut, TELEFUNKEN's Live From The Lab series is a performance-focused project that highlights a wide range of talent—local, national, and international—recorded entirely with TELEFUNKEN microphones. Each session is filmed and tracked live at the company's in-house studio, with multitrack audio files made available for download by engineers, producers, and music fans alike.A statement from the company discloses that Sunshine “is the latest artist to showcase his musical talent on TELEFUNKEN’s ‘Live From the Lab.’ His performance of ‘Under Your Spell’ was tracked with a full complement of the company’s microphones.”Sunshine first caught national attention on NBC’s The Voice, but his musical journey began years before, singing in his church choir and performing with his early band, Madison Red. He’s since opened for artists like Huey Lewis and LeAnn Rimes and continues to release new material—including his Top 50 iTunes single, “Reality.”A statement from the company adds that Sunshine “uses the M80 Copper live, as well as the ELA M 251E in the studio,” two microphones known for their clarity, warmth, and detail. His Live From The Lab session includes a performance of “Sail Away,” available to watch online, along with downloadable multitrack session files for mixing enthusiasts.According to TELEFUNKEN, “All audio files are presented in .WAV format and were recorded at 24bit / 48KHz sample rate. They are clearly labeled in the same format with the source listed first (LEAD VOX, ACOUSTIC, PIANO), followed by the microphone used (C12, AR-51, etc.) and can be downloaded and imported into your Digital Audio Workstation of choice.”

The post Braiden Sunshine Joins TELEFUNKEN’s “Live From The Lab” Series first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

In The Live Music Trenches with John Harris of XL LIVEJohn Harris of XL Live has been in the live music trenches for more than 40 years as a talent buyer, promoter and marketer. He shares his story as well as what's actually helping him sell more tickets in 2025.
The post In The Live Music Trenches with John Harris of XL LIVE appeared first on Hypebot.

How Effective are Image-Only Ads for Music?Think image-only ads for music can can promote your releases. live shows and more without fans ever hearing a note? This surprising experiment by Brian Hazard reveals why visuals alone may boost clicks, but...
The post How Effective are Image-Only Ads for Music? appeared first on Hypebot.

Warner Music Group to reduce annual cost by another $300M, with $170M saved via ‘headcount rightsizing’Combined with previously announced restructuring, Warner should achieve more than half a billion dollars in annual cost-savings
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Brian Wilson Tribute Set for July 3 at The Canyon Club: A Personal and Powerful CelebrationOn July 3, The Canyon Club will host a heartfelt tribute to one of its most beloved musical icons: Brian Wilson, the visionary behind The Beach Boys’ unmistakable sound. The event promises to be a moving and memorable evening—one that blends timeless music with personal reflection.The Canyon Club has long served as a hub for live music in Southern California, welcoming legendary performers and rising stars alike. Known for its intimate atmosphere and professional production, it’s an ideal setting for a tribute of this scale and sentiment.

According to a statement from the event team, “This will be a truly incredible and uniquely L.A. event."“During rehearsals, Carnie Wilson and her family have been very candid in sharing their journey in their recent loss of her dad, Brian Wilson,” the statement continues. While the show was originally conceived as a musical celebration, it has naturally grown into something more poignant—a moment of both remembrance and recognition.

The production includes a full orchestra and will bring together family, friends, and fans in honor of a man whose songs not only helped define the California sound but also touched countless lives across generations.For those planning to attend, it won’t just be a concert—it’ll be a tribute from the people who knew Brian best, through the music that made him a legend.The post Brian Wilson Tribute Set for July 3 at The Canyon Club: A Personal and Powerful Celebration first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Deerhoof leaves Spotify, but not over royalties: Full StatementTrailblazing indie band Deerhoof leaves Spotify, pulling all of their music off the streamer. Their music will still be available on Apple Music, Amazon Music and other streaming platforms.
The post Deerhoof leaves Spotify, but not over royalties: Full Statement appeared first on Hypebot.

MIDiA Research 2025-2032 global music forecasts | RecalibrationWe are pleased to announce the release of MIDiA’s annual music forecasts report. This is always a labour of love and takes a bit longer than some other entities’ forecasts as our approach is more Etsy than Amazon, with every single line of data (and there are thousands of them) being hand crafted, individually stress tested and cross checked. 

It might not be a very scalable approach, but as so many stakeholders in the music business rely on our numbers for business and investment strategy, it is a responsibility we take very seriously. As tempting as it would be just to say ‘CAGR is…’ and populate across the 39 different markets, we know from experience that short cut approaches almost always result in short comings. Perhaps most important of all is the thinking and industry expertise that goes into the numbers. There are no facts about the future, so forecasts are always a mathematical representation of human thought (and, no, I am not opening the AI can of worms). MIDiA clients can get the full 83-page report and 50+ sheet Excel here. Here are some highlights.

First off, the big number: by 2032, global recorded music revenues will be $110.8 billion. This figure is retail terms (i.e., includes DSP / retailer and publishing revenues) and includes:

Traditional revenues (streaming, downloads, physical, performance, sync)

Non-DSP streaming (TikTok, etc.)

Expanded Rights (labels’ share of live, merch, branding, etc.)

Label licensing revenue for audio visual content (documentaries, biopics, etc.)

Production music

Full representation of the long tail of independent artists and labels

That is the maximalist view. The more minimalist view (label revenues excluding Expanded Rights) sees 2032 revenues reach $51.2 billion.

After something of a boom year in 2023, revenue growth slowed to 4.3% in 2024. In fact, 2024 continued an oscillating growth pattern we have seen all decade, with strong growth years followed by weaker ones. The years with weaker growth coincided with declines in physical and (most often) weaker streaming growth. While this gives physical a kingmaker status, it also reflects maturing streaming growth: when the main revenue source grows at more modest rates, shifts in smaller revenue sources is the difference between strong and weaker growth.

We titled this year’s report ‘Recalibration’ as everything points in this direction:

New growth dynamics: Oscillation and slowing streaming are the new growth framework for the global market

Clear shift away from the West: Close to four firths of subscriber growth came from non-Western markets and China became the world’s fourth largest recorded music market. We titled last year’s report ‘Rise of the Global South’. This is the market’s new reality. Which helps explain why so many Western rightsholders are snapping up Global South repertoire and rightsholders. Will catalogue investors follow suit?

New DSP power dynamics: DSPs are growing influence and power, as reflected the ‘bundles’ licensing discounts. Labels got their ‘artist centric’ licensing in return but the long-term implication is DSPs have the precedent of reducing the royalty pot

New outlook for ad supported streaming: Revenue was flat in 2024. Part of this was actually a good news story (more music videos being monetised in the higher value confines of YouTube Premium). Part of it was another reflection of DSP power, with advertisers increasingly opting for the better targeting of podcast inventory versus music

Rapid rise of AI: While rightsholders were locked in legal battles, the marketplace has become awash with generative AI companies and this music is flooding DSPs. While some of these companies are seeking to operate ethically and in partnership with rightsholders, many are pursuing the ’do first, ask forgiveness later’ approach that served earlier disruptors like YouTube and TikTok so well

As you can imagine, with an 83-page report, this is but a tiny taster of the report, but hopefully it has given you a sense of the macro dynamics at play in today’s and tomorrow’s music business. If you want to go a little deeper still, keep an eye out for an exclusive video of the report’s analysts talking through some more of our thinking and numbers. In the meantime, if you are a client, you can find the report here.