Artists, Voice Your Opinion in White House’s RFI on Future AI RegulationThe White House's new Request For Information allows citizens (and artists) to voice their opinion on AI regulation.
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How streaming scams hurt independent musicians"It's not just you, music streaming is broken," says Cameron Gorham who makes music and videos under the moniker Venus Theory. Learn how streaming scams hurt independent musicians and why he argues, "you don't have to play the game."
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Alex Norström has a long to-do list as Spotify’s new co-CEO. Here’s what’s on it.Alex Norström will become Spotify's new co-CEO alongside Gustav Söderström in January 2026, as Daniel Ek steps into an Executive Chairman role
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Global Recorded Music Revenue Grew to $18.3 Billion USD in the First Half of 2025New data from MIDiA shows the global music market grew by 5.9% in H1 2025, but a slowing rate of growth from H1 2024.
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DJs Can Now Seamlessly Cue Songs in Spotify Using SeratoSpotify and DJ tool Serato's new integration allows DJs to access entire libraries and playlists, and effortlessly mix songs from Spotify within supported DJ software.
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PRS Guitars to Auction Rare Guitar for Rainforest Sustainability CharityPRS Guitars announced on Tuesday that is had launched, "an auction for a one-of-a-kind guitar made from reclaimed and salvaged woods. Designed as an employee guitar for 40-year PRS veteran Michael Reid (pictured), the company’s senior wood buyer, the guitar was built specifically as a fundraiser to protect rainforests. The guitar is a PRS McCarty 594 Semi-Hollow with a top, back, neck, and headstock veneer of mahogany from trees blown down in Puerto Rico during 2017’s Hurricane Maria. It has been hand-signed by Paul Reed Smith. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to rainforest charity Cool Earth, who work with Indigenous people to protect vital rainforests. Puerto Rico, Cuba and Brazil, where the guitar’s materials are sourced, all contain rainforests."

"The auction runs September 30-October 10, 2025, from noon to noon (Eastern Time). Interested buyers can bid now at https://www.ebay.com/itm/226999416890," they said.

“Our hope is to give back to the communities that live in the rainforests and to help protect such  paramount resources. They're a special people, and it is extremely rewarding to be able to help with the proceeds from selling this extraordinary guitar. Additionally, the guitar is sort of a  physical representation of Puerto Rican poet Lola Rodriquez de Tio's poem 'A Cuba,' where she describes Cuba and Puerto Rico as being like two wings of the same bird,” said PRS Guitars Senior Wood Manager, Michael Reid. 

"Michael obtained the mahogany from a vendor in Puerto Rico, who salvaged logs from a dumpsite where they were scheduled to be mulched," they continued. "As the guitar’s main wood is a Caribbean species often referred to as Cuban Mahogany, Michael decided to have the fretboard feature an inlay of the skyline of Old Havana, Cuba. The headstock is emblazoned with the Cuban flag. The fretboard is rosewood reclaimed from old Brazilian homes that were falling down and razed. From the Atlantic Forest region of Brazil, the wood averages between 75-150 years old. The intricate inlay features mother-of-pearl, Paua, and other materials, created in partnership with Maryland-based Aulson Inlay."

“It was a real wow moment when we found out what PRS Guitars had in mind to help raise  money. Money raised from this auction will have a real impact on the rainforest as well as the people who live there and protect it. The history of the guitar, made from materials worn by weather and storms, is tragically, but beautifully intertwined with the impact a changing climate has on the livelihoods of people who live in rainforest regions. A huge thank you to PRS Guitars,” said Cool Earth Partnerships Executive, Rebecca Leach.

"This auction represents PRS's commitment to environmental stewardship through partnerships with nonprofits across the globe. Rainforests are critical environments that contribute to a thriving global ecosystem, providing large carbon sinks where they are responsible for storing twice as much carbon as they emit. Hurricane Maria took down swathes of these carbon  guardians on its pass of the island in 2017, but what was found on the ground was transformed into a testament to the resilience of the rainforest, the spirit of rebirth, renewal, and the healing nature of music."

"Indigenous peoples and local communities manage 54% of the world’s remaining forests. Formed in 2007, Cool Earth exists to give funds and data directly to rainforest communities, to create choice, tackle the root causes of deforestation and protect these vital carbon sinks. 99% of the rainforest is intact where they work. Cool Earth’s work ranges from giving cash to communities so they can adapt to climate change and say no to loggers who want to buy their forest, providing data and training so communities can monitor the health of their forests and supporting local economies so communities can generate sustainable incomes. As of early 2025, 58,000 Indigenous peoples have been supported by Cool Earth, helping to protect 2.1 million acres of forest for future generations, keeping half a billion tons of carbon where it belongs, and ensuring 380 million tropical trees are still standing."

"NOTE: As this guitar contains Brazilian Rosewood, which comes with strict regulations that vary by country, the winner of the auction must be in the United States."

"This special auction follows last week’s launch of the PRS S2 Special Semi-Hollow Reclaimed Limited Edition, of which only 700 will be made in 2025."

"PRS Guitars continues its schedule of launching new products each month in 2025. Stay tuned to see new gear and 40th Anniversary limited-edition guitars throughout the year. For all of the latest news, click www.prsguitars.com/40 and follow @prsguitars on Instagram, Tik Tok,  Facebook, X, and YouTube."The post PRS Guitars to Auction Rare Guitar for Rainforest Sustainability Charity first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Spotify leadership update: Daniel Ek explains why he’s stepping back as Spotify CEO to become Executive ChairmanDaniel Ek and Spotify's new Co-CEOs Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström participated in a Q&A about the leadership transition. MBW listened in on the call. Here's what stood out...
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Facebook Marketing for Musicians: New tools to grow a fanbaseFacebook has added tools that can bring musicians and creators and their fans together. Discover how to use Facebook marketing for musicians to grow a fanbase, boost engagement, and build a loyal superfan community. Learn practical strategies like fan challenges, custom badges and more.
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Free Healthcare For Musicians and Industry ProfessionalsAffordable healthcare has always been a problem for musicians and music industry professionals. Recent cuts to federal subsidies will only exacerbate the problem. This is happening at a time when premiums and other costs are on the rise. While not the same as full health insurance, some programs are expanding. They aim to offer access to free healthcare for musicians and music industry professionals.
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Jason Bonham Discusses His Top 5 Songs from Led Zeppelin's Physical GraffitiThe legendary drummer spoke with AllMusic before the launch of the upcoming Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening tour, and selected his 5 favorite tracks off Physical Graffiti, celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year.

Songview Gets a Major Upgrade: 38 Million Tracks, All in One PlacePictured: ASCAP CEO Elizabeth MatthewsIn a move that’s shaking up the music industry, the four major U.S. performing rights organizations—ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR—have joined forces to expand Songview, the industry’s go-to platform for public performance copyright data. Launched in 2020 by ASCAP and BMI, Songview now includes information on over 38 million musical works, offering the most comprehensive view of public performance copyright ownership and administration shares from a single source.This expansion means that for the first time, Songview will feature data from all four major PROs, providing a unified platform for music users to access detailed information on songwriters, composers, music publishers, and copyright ownership shares. The platform will begin incorporating data from GMR and SESAC, starting with the addition of all 100%-owned works represented by these organizations. Additionally, Songview will enhance the data for GMR and SESAC works that have split ownership percentages with ASCAP and/or BMI by including publisher names, addressing one of the most popular information requests from Songview users.This collaborative effort aims to provide greater transparency in music licensing, benefiting both creators and licensees. As ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews stated, “We are thrilled to collaborate with BMI, GMR, and SESAC as we innovate to provide more transparency to licensees into musical ownership data for the combined repertories of the most performed music in the world.”This move is a significant step towards a more transparent and efficient music licensing system, ensuring that creators receive the compensation they deserve while licensees have the predictability they need. For those interested in exploring this expanded database, Songview is free to the public and currently accessible on the ASCAP and BMI websites. Find more information on the Songview website or check out the latest updates on the ASCAP and BMI sites.

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In ‘landmark’ move, SESAC and GMR join ASCAP and BMI’s ‘Songview’ copyright database, expanding platform to 38m+ worksPlatform will feature information for over 38m musical works licensed by the four major performing rights organizations in the United States
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TikTok Ownership Change Has Creators Worried About The FutureTikTok has become the stage where musicians, creators, influencers and activists could break through overnight. A great hook or a clever video could reach millions in hours. But now, with a TikTok ownership change looming, that sense of limitless opportunity is being replaced by uncertainty.
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ASCAP, BMI, GMR, SESAC expand Songview PRO databaseThe four major U.S. performing rights organizations (PROs) have announced the expansion of Songview, the public performance copyright data resource launched by ASCAP and BMI in 2020.
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Top Music Business News Last WeekThe top music business news last week included a surprising TikTik update, Live Nation and tub Hub news, the Funnel Strategy for music marketing and much more.
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