Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square to raise $1.4bn from sale of 2.7% stake in UMG (report)'We believe UMG is one of the best businesses we have ever owned,' said Ackman on X today
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How To Sell More Tickets To Your Next ShowAfter you've listed your shows on Bandsintown and adding them your website, how do sell as many tickets as possible? From exclusive offers to hidden event pages, we've got five creative ways to boost ticket sales.
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Recorded music market 2024: $36.2 billion, up 6.5%MIDiA has just released its annual recorded music market shares report. Clients can access the full report and the accompanying massive (!) data set here. For the rest of you, here are some highlights from the report.

Global recorded music growth has oscillated through the 2020s and 2024 continued that pattern, up 6.5% to $36.2 billion after 9.4% growth in 2023. (Excluding expanded rights, the total was $32.1 billion). Given that the first half of the 2020s was characterised by global upheaval and uncertainty, shaped by factors such as the pandemic and rising inflation and interest rates, 6,5% growth was no small achievement. But global disruption is not going away – 2025 has thus far picked up the baton and sprinted with it. The music business is going to have to get used to operating in challenging global circumstances, even before considering a growing catalogue of disruptive industry specific trends such as, bifurcation, the rise of the Global South and a fast-maturing streaming market.

Streaming still dominates revenues but its impact is lessening. For the first time ever, its share of total revenues declined slightly in 2024, down from 61.5% to 61.3%, with streaming growing slightly slower than the total market to reach $22.2 billion. Streaming is no longer the market maker. Its contribution to total market growth was down by more than a fifth compared to 2022. The streaming revenue slowdown has been on the horizon for many years and – despite price increases – it has now arrived. Super premium cannot come soon enough.

On top of this, physical was down -4.8%, carrying on its very own 2020s yo-yo growth pattern (up, down, up, down). So where did all the growth come from? Other i.e. performance, sync and expanded rights. Expanded rights (merch etc) were up to $4.1 billion, reflecting the recorded music businesses success in monetising fandom. Other as a whole was up 17.3% while Sony Music pulled up a forest of trees, seeing its ‘other’ revenue up by 38.6% in 2024.

In fact, Sony Music had a good year all round. UMG remained comfortably the world’s largest label with revenues of $10.5 billion but for the second successive year, Sony Music Group (SMG) was the fastest growing major label, increasing revenues by 10.2% to grow market share 700 basis points to 21.7%. SMG was the fastest growing major label in the first half of the decade, growing by a total of 73.9% between 2020 and 2024. The only other market constituent to grow share was non-major labels, up to 29.6% market share. Artists Direct meanwhile (self-releasing artists) felt the pinch of new royalty structures, with revenues slower than the market to reach $2.0 billion. This despite the fact that the number of self-releasing artists grew by 17.2% to reach 8.2 million, with Chinese streaming services Tencent and NetEase seeing particularly strong growth.

One of the most important market trends though, is the growing gap between DSPs and labels and distributors. Streaming services are both growing revenue faster than rightsholders and are widening the growth gap. DSPs grew revenue three times faster than labels in 2024 and the rate of growth was up three years running. Despite working within tightly set rightsholder constraints, DSPs are learning how to improve margin through a diverse mix of tactics including content mix (e.g., podcasts, audiobooks), acquiring cheaper music (e.g., production libraries, exclusive commissions, generative AI), licensing discounts (e.g., audiobook bundles) and charging labels for access to audiences (e.g., Spotify Discovery Mode). 

All in all, a solid year for the recorded music market, but with warning signs: labels aren’t keeping pace with DSP growth and despite keeping the long tail of Artists Direct quiet with new licensing structures, more artists than ever are deciding to release without labels. Eventually they (and smaller indie labels) will take heed of the ‘you’re not welcome here’ sign on streaming’s door and build their audiences elsewhere. This will be a short-term win for bigger labels, but long-term risk, with this new lane being where much of tomorrow’s culture will be made. In case you forgot, Bifurcation is coming.

Note: we scaled down some of our historical numbers slightly to reflect some double counting of independent label revenue distributed by other independent labels

Songs in Film and TV: Which songs are used most?The relationship between film and and TV and music has always been strong, but these songs have been used so often that their identity is shaped by on-screen appearances.
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Gibson Certified Vintage Launches Next Round of Rare, Highly-Collectible GuitarsGibson - the iconic American-made and leading instrument brand—has a legacy of making world-class instruments since 1894 when Orville Gibson was crafting archtop mandolins. As a natural extension of Gibson’s passion for its unique instruments and the stories they tell, the history-making Gibson Certified Vintage program offers collectible vintage guitars authenticated and certified directly by Gibson, with a new limited lifetime warranty and a certificate of vintage authenticity. All Gibson Certified Vintage guitars are sold via the Gibson Garage in Nashville, TN, call (615) 933-6000; select models will be available for purchase via https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Certified-Vintage.Today, the Gibson Certified Vintage program premieres the next collection of guitars: a 1956 Gibson Les Paul Standard, 1957 Gibson ES-225TD, 1958 Gibson Les Paul TV Junior, 1964 Gibson SG Special, and a 1966 Epiphone Century E422T. “P-90s have been the sound of Gibson electric guitars for the better part of a century, and this release is a small celebration of that,” says Mitch Conrad, Gibon Certified Vintage Manager. “I'm particularly fond of the 1957 Gibson ES-225TD; it's this great combination of the specs of an ES-295 in the thinline package of an ES-330. Don't be fooled by how clean these guitars are—they're a joy to play, and they sound fantastic.”A world first, the Gibson Certified Vintage collection offers collectors an incredible opportunity to own extraordinary instruments, sourced and authenticated by Gibson. Gibson Certified Vintage guitars feature one-of-a-kind Golden Era blue-chip guitars, unique, one-of-a-kind prototypes, celebrity-owned guitars, as well as 70s and 80s models directly from the Gibson Vault. In an industry first, all Gibson Certified Vintage guitars are sold with a brand new limited lifetime warranty. All guitars arrive with a detailed letter of appraisal confirming the provenance and history of the instrument, a certificate of authenticity signed by Gibson’s Certified Vintage Manager, Mitch Conrad, and an array of unique extras.Explore the next guitars to debut in the Gibson Certified Vintage collection below and check back for refreshed vintage offerings as each guitar is sold; for all details, visit https://www.gibson.com/en-US/Certified-Vintage.The post Gibson Certified Vintage Launches Next Round of Rare, Highly-Collectible Guitars first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Spotify stock up on strong Loud & Clear royalty report[NYSE: SPOT] Spotify stock beat the market Wednesday rising sharply after the release of it annual Loud & Clear royalty payment transparency report.
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France’s recorded music revenues reached $1.1bn in 2024, up 7% YoYThe growing popularity of music streaming and a boost from the Paris Olympics propelled France to a large increase in music exports
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Spotify Loud & Clear: $10B, Global Fandom & A Year of ChangeSpotify's new Loud & Clear transparency report shows payments to the music industry of $10 billion in 2024, half of which went to independents. It's the first L&C since Liz Pelly's expose of streaming and the inner workings of Spotify as well as significant changes in who the streamer pays and how payments are calculated.
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NOUMENIA sign exclusive worldwide deal w/ Eclipse Records Eclipse Records is excited to announce the signing of Noumenia, a post groove metal band from Northern Italy, who have crafted an explosive soul-striking sound that hits you square in the face, the mind, and the heart! The band recently finished recording their full-length debut album entitled Echoes with Richard Meiz of Lacuna Coil producing the album, and Daniele Salomone (Lacuna Coil, Inverno, D With Us) mixing & mastering at DDStudio Records. Echoes will be released via Eclipse Records on June 27, 2025.“Signing with Eclipse Records is without a doubt one of the best things that could have happened to us, and we are so excited to begin this journey!” says lead vocalist Vivian Nigro. “All we want for our music is to strike the listener with an insane amount of energy and to reach as many people as possible.” Bassist Matteo Campagnoli adds, “We achieved a complete synergy with Richard in the studio, resulting in what I believe is an incredible album. The journey took almost a year and demanded a lot of effort, but we were all united and driven, simply unstoppable.” Samuele Zichi (drummer) also said, “Signing with Eclipse Records is finally a sign that our music can leave a deep mark in someone, and that’s the main goal of our new album entitled Echoes. I hope everyone enjoys our work as much as we enjoyed making it!” Finally, guitarist Matteo Radaelli states “I am ecstatic about our collaboration with Eclipse, because it’s a big opportunity to bring our art and ideas to life. Echoes is a big step forward for us, because we think it can connect a lot of different people with different musical tastes, mainly because every song gives the opportunity to the listener to have affinity with the lyrics and the music.”Echoes is the title of the exciting post groove metal album by Noumenia, featuring heavy drumming, rhythmic virtuosity, ripsaw growl vocals, and a gargantuan guitar sound that literally reinvents the power of the power chord. Often, the songs on this record kick off with bizarre futuristic introductions constructed of suspense and trepidation, like movie soundtracks made for aliens, dangerous AI, and cyborgs gone mad, yet following these mystic “orchestral” and “celestial” preludes, Noumenia hit us with drop after drop that rock so hard we are stunned. The pound and burn on this record are massive, the hooks mesmerizing, the changes invigorating, the philosophical lyrics all too close to the heart, the bottom-side where we stockpile secrets and darkness. Musically, this record makes for a striking hybrid, explosive and smooth, hard diamond with a soft shine, a thick dose of dangerous velvet. Holistically, it seems that the band has a mission here to invigorate, exfoliate, and buzzsaw the brain so the new world looks real and raw. At the beginning of the record, we are asked to “Tear off the eyes, your sight is stale / Cut off your tongue, [and] never exhale.” That said, we are also prompted to approach each day from a position of strength and rejuvenation, as it says in focus track number one titled, “The Circle” that “From dust and bones, we’ll be reborn.” In the second focus track: “Fall Apart,” the traditional vocal warms us to the core and sets us on the sheer precipice of the monstrous growl symbolizing the fierce internal battles we wage in our effort to “Unbind the rope that chokes [the] heart.” Finally, with the third focus track: “Black Ocean,” we are exposed to a variety of vocals that are in themselves a symphony of tone, pitch, and power. And though there is a warning of a “systems crash,” there is hope in what has become a strange yet peaceful shadowland, in that we are asked to “Stay with me ‘til the sun kisses the horizon / Sail with me through the waves of infinity.” Echoes features cover art designed by Samuele Zichi, and it is scheduled for release on June 27, 2025.Pre-Save or Pre-Order Echoes at this location.For more information about Noumenia and their “Echoes” album, please visit them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or Eclipse Records, and follow them on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, YouTube Music, Tidal, and Deezer now!The post NOUMENIA sign exclusive worldwide deal w/ Eclipse Records  first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Concord to acquire Stem in $50m+ deal, say MBW sourcesWe also hear that Raine Group is in the middle of it.
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Live Music stocks close down again TuesdayLive music stocks continued their multi-day slide on Tuesday.
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March 11, 2020: The Day Live Music DiedOn March 11, 2020 The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Congress that “it’s going to get worse,” a spooked President Trump finally addressed the nation from the Oval Office and schools, business, sports and the live music industry began a near total shutdown.
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Ben Winship & Tim O'Brien Wins 9th Annual Christmas Songwriting CompetitionThe list winners and finalists of the 9th Annual Christmas Songwriting Competition have been released. Songwriters Ben Winship and Tim O'Brien of Victor, ID won top honors with their song "Santa Ate a Gummy".“This is a great honor to win the top prize. We are thrilled to have been selected - happy and proud that you have selected our song!” said the top winners Ben Winship and Tim O'Brien.Victor, ID based Ben Winship is a songwriter and producer with credits from Mike Dowling that won a Grammy award in 2005 in the Best Pop Instrumental category. Ben has performed at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and NPR's "A Prairie Home Companion".Tim O'Brien is a songwriter as well as a former member of the group "Hot Rize". His songs have been recorded by kathy Mathea, Garth Brooks, Nickel Creek and the Dixie Chicks (now called the Chicks). He has won 2 Grammy awards: 2014 - Awarded Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album for "The Earls of Leicester" and 2005 - Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album for Fiddler's Green.Karin Bachner & Tobias M. Hoffmann from Vienna, Austria won the second prize with their song “In the Mood for Christmas”. "Mingle Neath the Mistletoe" by Jan Edwards, Lucy LeBlanc and Corey Lee Barker from Naples, FL won the third prize with their song “Mingle Neath the Mistletoe”.All top three songs were multi-way co-writes.Here is the list of the winners:1st Prize:"Santa Ate a Gummy" by Ben Winship & Tim O'Brien; Victor, ID 2nd Prize:"In the Mood for Christmas" by Karin Bachner & Tobias M. Hoffmann; Vienna, AUSTRIA 3rd Prize:"Mingle Neath the Mistletoe" by Jan Edwards, Lucy LeBlanc & Corey Lee Barker; Naples, FLTop 20 Finalists:"Santa Ate a Gummy" by Ben Winship & Tim O'Brien"Nights and Christmas Lights" by Robin Sandoval, Paul Laliberte,  Jeffrey Laliberte & Shelby Archer"Once Again It Is Christmas" by Clive Kennedy & Justin Wilde"Reindeer Rebellion" by Ava Della Pietra, Shane Stevens & Nash Overstreet"What Santa Wants" by Jan Edwards, Deema Homsi, TJ Kirby"Mingle Neath the Mistletoe" by Jan Edwards, Lucy LeBlanc & Corey Lee Barker"Song To The Longest Night" by Patti Shaffner"In the Mood for Christmas" by Karin Bachner & Tobias M. Hoffmann"Christmas X12" by Michelle Rose Bergh & Andy Karg"Christmas Angel" by Nadine Stockmann & Torsten Bader"Little Christmas Song" by Ayesha de Groot & Jan Flubacher"Ornaments" by Tamsin Lancaster, Max Jackson & Liam Quinn"There's A Candle" by Calvin Bridges & Tore W Åas"1-800-Santa-Helpline" by Marissa Hernandez, Joe Gautrey & Sean Price"Greater Than That" by Mary Dawson & Beverly Houston"Oh! Santa, Please" by Robby Johnson, Clarence Jey & Danny Rader"Sing His Name" by Harrison Kraft"Christmas Star" by Katie Pederson & Frankie Jason Turner"Wishlist" by Damon Sharpe, Eric Sanicola & Laura Bryna"Christmas Kiss" by Randi Soyland Sparrman & Donald James HarperFor more information, please visit:
https://www.songwriting.net/xmas-results
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Patrick Moxey’s publishing company files amended copyright complaint against Sony MusicOriginal lawsuit was filed in New York in November on behalf of Ultra International Music Publishing LLC (UIMP) and Ultra Music Publishing Europe AG
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Live Music Stocks continue to fall faster than MarketsLive music stocks from Live Nation, Sphere Entertainment. and MSG Entertainment followed the markets downward Monday continuing their week long spiral.
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