Rick James Accused of Rape — 15 Years After His Death

A woman who claims to have been raped by Rick James in 1979 is suing his estate for damages. The woman’s identity has not yet been publicly revealed, and the alleged incident is said to have taken place at a group home when the woman was 15 years old. …

Federal Judge Allows Global Music Rights, Major Radio Stations to Air Their Antitrust Grievances

The legal battle between Global Music Rights (GMR) and the Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) has taken another interesting turn, as a federal judge has allowed each of their antitrust lawsuits to proceed. GMR had been attempting to dismiss the RMLC’…

Original Masters Belonging to Nirvana, Soundgarden, Elton John, Peter Frampton Destroyed In Universal Studios Fire, Universal Music Confirms

In a recent court filing from the ongoing lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG), additional light was shed on the extent of the damage caused by the 2008 Universal Studios fire. Many masters, including those of Slayer, Soundgarden, Michael McDona…

The Vinyl Alliance Officially Responds to the Apollo Masters Fire

The Vinyl Alliance releases a forward-thinking statement on the Apollo Masters Fire. The Vinyl Alliance, a vinyl records advocacy group comprised of several industry organizations, has released an official statement regarding the fire that recently des…

R. Kelly Faces New Federal Indictment for Sexually Abusing a Minor

Federal prosecutors in Chicago have charged R. Kelly with several additional crimes stemming from his alleged sexual abuse of a minor between 1997 and 2001.  Few details have been made available concerning the specific nature of the charges, but R. Kel…

YouTube Paid the Music Industry More Than $3 Billion In 2019, CEO Says

YouTube has the lowest per-stream payouts in the streaming music business — a dubious distinction for years.  But platform CEO Susan Wojcicki says it all adds up. Why Wojcicki dropped the big news on a Friday before a three-day weekend is anyone’…

Billie Eilish Officially Releases the Next James Bond Theme Song, “No Time to Die”

The long-awaited James Bond theme song from Billie Eilish has been released. “No Time to Die” is available on YouTube and most streaming services. The four-minute track will be prominently featured in the upcoming 25th James Bond film, No Time to Die. …

Recording Academy Investigating Industry Attorney Joel Katz, Leaked Memo Says

Internal Recording Academy memos push back against Deborah Dugan’s allegations. Per a pair of internally circulated Recording Academy memos that were leaked by Variety, the organization’s higher-ups are taking a number of steps to address and investiga…

Who Says Warner Music Gets to Have All the Fun? Universal Music Group Says They’ll Go Public by 2023

According to the just-released earnings report from Vivendi, a French media conglomerate and the parent company of Universal Music Group, UMG will offer an IPO on Wall Street sometime within the next three years.  The announcement came after UMG’s 2019…

Coronavirus Cancellations Continue: Stormzy Backs Out of Asian Tour Dates

Owing to coronavirus fears, British rapper Stormzy has indefinitely postponed the Asian portion of his Heavy is the Head Tour.   The 26-year-old took to Instagram to reveal the news, which was attributed to “ongoing health and travel concerns.” It was …