The 23 biggest music business deals of 2025: From Taylor Swift to Tencent Music, Live Nation, and Chord.The biggest artist catalog related deal on this year's list is for the masters of Taylor Swift's first six albums, acquired by... Taylor Swift from Shamrock Capital
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Small Venues in Small Cities: A Playbook for Building CommunityIn this post, we offer strategies for live music venues, promoters, and festivals in smaller markets around how to strengthen and develop the local community rather than focus on growth.
The post Small Venues in Small Cities: A Playbook for Building Community appeared first on Hypebot.

Your Morning Coffee Podcast: Congress’ Radio Loophole, Spotify Wrapped, & Suno/UdioEpisode 279 of Jay Gilbert and Mike Etchart's podcast Your Morning Coffee: Weekly News for the New Music Business is available now.
The post Your Morning Coffee Podcast: Congress’ Radio Loophole, Spotify Wrapped, & Suno/Udio appeared first on Hypebot.

AllMusic's Best of 2025Each year, the AllMusic editors look back through the albums that made the biggest impact, broke new ground, and caught our ear. Pop, rap, jazz, blues, classical and more. We begin with our overall best-of list, and will explore a different genre each weekday until the new year.

GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Jazz Performance, Best Jazz Vocal AlbumThe 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Jazz Performance and Best Jazz Vocal Album categories.

Take a listen to the nominated performances and albums below--who do you think will win?

See the full list of nominees in every category here.

Best Jazz Performance

Noble RiseLakecia Benjamin Featuring Immanuel Wilkins & Mark Whitfield

Windows - LiveChick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade

Peace Of Mind / Dreams Come TrueSamara Joy

FourMichael Mayo

All Stars Lead To You – LiveNicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold, Rachel Eckroth & Sam Weber

Best Jazz Vocal Album

ElementalDee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap

We Insist 2025Terri Lyne Carrington & Christie Dashiell Featuring Weedie Braimah, Milena Casado, Morgan Guerin, Simon Moullier & Matthew Stevens

PortraitSamara Joy

FlyMichael Mayo

Live at Vic's Las VegasNicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold, Rachel Eckroth & Sam Weber

Samara Joy photo by David BazemoreThe post GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Jazz Performance, Best Jazz Vocal Album first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Spoken Word Poetry AlbumThe 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Spoken Word Poetry Album category.

Take a listen to the nominated albums below--who do you think will win?

See the full list of nominees in every category here.

A Hurricane in Heels: healed people don't act like that — partially recorded live @City Winery & other placesQueen Sheba

Black ShamanMarc Marcel

PagesOmari Hardwick & Anthony Hamilton

Saul Williams Meets Carlos Niño & Friends At TreepeopleSaul Williams, Carlos Niño & Friends

Words For Days Vol. 1Mad Skillz

Saul Williams & Carlos Niño photo by Sam LeeThe post GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Spoken Word Poetry Album first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Top Music Business News Last WeekTop music business news last week included the release of Spotify Wrapped and how musicians can make the most of it, controversial AI firm Suno acquired Songkick, more on per-stream rates, news from Olivia Dean, Lewis Capaldi, Sonica, Tencent Music and more.
The post Top Music Business News Last Week appeared first on Hypebot.

A Night at the Opera with Puccini's La BohèmeOreste Cosimo as Rodolfo and Janai Brugger as Mimi in LA Opera's 2025 production of La Bohème. (Photo by Cory Weaver)

In the decades since Music Connection got going in 1977, there are certain genres of music that have never consistently found a home in these pages. There's no good reason for this, besides a general lack of expertise in some areas. Those genres include opera, classical and anything generally orchestral. That's on us, that's our bad, and we're going to endeavor to put it right. It's simply ancient thinking to believe that somebody with an interest in rock, pop, country and/or blues couldn't possibly also enjoy the work of Puccini, Mozart, Verdi, etc. We have more faith in you than that.

And so it was that, on a clear, crisp evening in early December, this writer found himself at the LA Opera, and specifically the stunning Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, for the first time to take in Puccini's beloved La Bohème.

Rod Gilfry as Alcindoro and Erica Petrocelli as Musetta in LA Opera's 2025 production of La Bohème. (Photo by Cory Weaver)

Those who haven't been to the opera before might have some prior expectations. Let's start with the low hanging fruit. Yes, you can dress up in tuxes and evening gowns should you feel inclined. On the other hand, there is no dress code and those in casual wear aren't outnumbered or made to feel out of place in any way at all. If you're worried that a night at the opera is a nose-in-the-air, cartoonish vision of snobbery--don't be. An LA Opera experience is a welcoming one, and it's for everyone.

Nothing highlights this more than La Bohème. Alongside Madama Butterfly and Turandot (famous among casual appreciators of opera for the aria "Nessun Dorma"), La Bohème is one of Puccini's more enduring operas. Over four acts, we're introduced to four hard-up men who live together in the Latin Quarter of Paris (Rodolfo, Marcello, Colline and Schaunard) and the two women who capture the hearts of Rodolfo and Marcello (respectively, Mimi and Musetta).

Gihoon Kim as Marcello in LA Opera's 2025 production of La Bohème. (Photo by Cory Weaver)

The men are arty types--musicians, writers and, as the title suggests, bohemians. So when Marcello sees his spicy ex Musetta at the Café Momus with a rich, older lover called Alcindoro, he's not happy but it offers his chums the opportunity to engage in some witty banter.

The leads are all incredible. Italian tenor Oreste Cosimo, making his LA Opera debut in the role of Rodolfo, is wonderfully engaging, and his chemistry with Illinois soprano Janai Brugger (Mimi) is compelling throughout. Similarly, the characters of South Korean baritone Gihoon Kim (Marcello) and Rhode Island soprano Erica Petrocelli (Musetta) have a playful (if undeniably toxic by today's standards) energy. You simply can't take your eyes off of them, and their voices are never anything other than note perfect.

The Act Two finale in LA Opera's 2025 production of La Bohème. (Photo by Cory Weaver)

Chinese bass William Guanbo Su (Colline) and New York baritone Emmett O'Hanlon (Schaunard) complete the main players, though special mention must go to North Dakota tenor Nathan Bowles for bringing a magical, spritely energy to the role of toymaker/merchant Parpignol.

The set design, by Gerard Howland, is mind-blowing. Fully believable apartment buildings are erected, and they move around before our eyes. We're unquestionably transported to Paris--we see the sights, feel the cold, experience the high and lows. Howland's art is clearly as much a part of the show as that of any of the performers. The orchestra, led by Colombian conductor Lina González-Granados, is impeccable. We can't mention all of the cast, musicians and crew, but this is a team effort.

So we watch and listen as the two couples break up in Act III, before reaching the devastating conclusion of Act IV, with Mimi succumbing to tuberculosis. Mimi and Rodolfo were at least reunited before she died, but it's too little, too late. We've been carried by incredible voices through a full range of emotions, and it ends with tragedy.



Tears wiped, this writer spilled out onto the streets of L.A. knowing full well that he'll be back at the opera in 2026. You should go too!The post A Night at the Opera with Puccini's La Bohème first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

How To Leverage Year End Streaming Recaps After They’ve LaunchedSpotify Wrapped, Apple Music Replay and YouTube Recap 2025 Are Out. Learn how to leverage year end streaming recaps to enhance your music marketing - even if you didn't update your profiles in advance.
The post How To Leverage Year End Streaming Recaps After They’ve Launched appeared first on Hypebot.

How to Throw an Unforgettable Listening PartyHere's why listening parties have become so popular in recent years and how to throw a listening party your fans will never forget.
The post How to Throw an Unforgettable Listening Party appeared first on Hypebot.

From Epidemic Sound suing Meta again to Robert Kyncl’s new deal as WMG CEO… it’s MBW’s weekly round-upThe biggest headlines from the past few days...
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Epidemic Sound sues Meta again, alleging copyright infringement of 1,000 additional worksEpidemic filed its first lawsuit against Meta in July 2022
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Fender and Jackson Drop Anniversary Signature Collection Celebrating 50 Years of Iron Maiden MetalIron Maiden has officially hit the 50-year mark—and Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is celebrating in style. To mark the milestone, Fender (along with Jackson) just unveiled a full lineup of limited-edition signature instruments designed to channel the tone, feel, and firepower of Maiden’s legendary players.

FMIC’s Chief Product Officer, Max Gutnik, nailed it when he said the collection is “more than tributes; they are stage-ready tools built to inspire today’s players and the next generation.”

For the die-hard Maiden fan (and player), the crown jewel is the ultra-premium Strat built for longtime guitarist Dave Murray. Crafted in collaboration with Custom Shop masterbuilder Andy Hicks, the Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster is finished in NOS Olympic White and loaded with top-notch specs: a walnut Oval “C” neck, compound-radius rosewood fingerboard, stainless-steel frets, Seymour Duncan Hot Rails + JB Jr pickups, and high-end FU-Tone hardware engineered to survive global touring.

But there are more accessible options too. Fender’s standard 50th-Anniversary models include a Dave Murray Strat, a 50th-Anniversary Strat for Janick Gers, and a signature bass for Steve Harris—each tailored to the playing style and tone that helped define the band’s sound.

Finally, guitarists that favour the gritty versatility of Jackson get so see rocker Adrian Smith immortalized too. The 50th-Anniversary Adrian Smith Jackson SC1 delivers a tone and feel tailored to his melodic yet powerful style—perfect for stage or studio.

According to a release, the collection includes:

Fender Custom Shop

Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster - Built with Masterbuilder Andy Hicks to mirror Murray’s ultimate touring guitar. Features include a walnut Oval “C” neck, compound-radius rosewood fingerboard, stainless-steel frets, Seymour Duncan Hot Rails and JB Jr pickups, and premium FU-Tone hardware for stability and power. Finished in NOS Olympic White.

Fender

50th Anniversary Janick Gers Stratocaster - Black finish, 7.25" rosewood fingerboard, vintage tall frets and dual JB Jr pickups designed for Gers’ high-energy playing and stage showmanship. Fender online exclusive. 

50th Anniversary Dave Murray Stratocaster - Three Seymour Duncan pickups, Floyd Rose R2 tremolo and compound-radius neck deliver Murray’s fast, articulate attack.

50th Anniversary Steve Harris Precision Bass - Satin Black finish with mirrored pickguard, all-maple construction, split-coil Precision pickup and Harris’ signature details for his unmistakable galloping low end.

Jackson

50th Anniversary Adrian Smith Jackson SC1 - A studio and stage-ready alder build with a DiMarzio DP100 humbucker, Fender Noiseless Sumerian Cobalt pickups and top-mounted Floyd Rose bridge. Engineered for Smith’s blend of melodic phrasing, speed and tonal versatility.

More info and shop at Fender Custom Shop, Fender, and Jackson.

The post Fender and Jackson Drop Anniversary Signature Collection Celebrating 50 Years of Iron Maiden Metal first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Spotify offers ‘context’ to Hypebot’s streamshare payouts postSpotify reached out to take issue with Hypebot's reporting on the streamer's Substack "The Truth About Streaming Payouts."
The post Spotify offers ‘context’ to Hypebot’s streamshare payouts post appeared first on Hypebot.

Lewis Capaldi Is Back on the Road. We Need to Talk About the Mental Health Toll of TouringThe widely-adored Scottish singer-songwriter is back on tour after a long hiatus due to health issues; his story is becoming increasingly common.
The post Lewis Capaldi Is Back on the Road. We Need to Talk About the Mental Health Toll of Touring appeared first on Hypebot.