The Week’s Top U.S. Festivals & Tours, Presented by SeatGeek

The most popular concert tickets, tour stops, and artists around the country, through Wednesday, August 7th. Welcome to our weekly report on the world of live music, based on exclusive data from SeatGeek, a ticketing platform that enables fans to buy a…

Drake Eliminates J. Cole Lyric on ‘Care Package’ Dissing “Autistic, Retarded” People

Last week, Drake released a compilation album of his hit songs entitled Care Package.  But the big story on this album isn’t what was included, but rather what was removed. What makes the album notable is that a track on the album called “Jodeci Freest…

Slipknot’s Corey Taylor: ‘Streaming Is Pricing Artists — Old AND New — Out of Careers’

Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor recently revealed his thoughts on how music streaming services impact artists. In short, he believes that musicians are being wronged by leading streaming companies, particularly Spotify. The long version of Taylor’s opin…

Vivendi Is Selling a 10-20% Chunk of Universal Music to Tencent — UMG’s Lucian Grainge Addresses the Troops

After delaying the sale of Universal Music Group, Vivendi is now auctioning off a small chunk of the major label to Tencent. Vivendi SA’s on-again, off-again sale process of Universal Music Group is apparently back on.  And with it, the beginnings of a…

AT&T Offers a Free Spotify Subscription With Its Highest Paid Plan

As Spotify’s subscription growth rate lags, the streaming giant is seeking out new avenues for adding premium users. That includes striking partnerships with hardware and service companies. Spotify’s latest partnership with AT&T goes live on Tuesda…

Violent Anti-Gay Threats Force Cancelations at Lebanon’s Byblos International Festival

Lebanese rock band Mashrou’ Leila won’t appear at Byblos International Festival on August 9th.  And they’re not alone. Facing pressure from church officials who accuse the band of defaming Christianity, the band’s appearance was canceled. Byblos organi…

Katy Perry’s Attorneys to Appeal the $2.78 MM ‘Dark Horse’ Verdict — ‘There is no infringement’

Katy Perry, Capitol/UMG, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and other ‘Dark Horse’ contributors will appeal last week’s $2.78 million copyright infringement verdict involving ‘Dark Horse’. Calling the decision a ‘travesty of justice,’ Katy Perry’s attorneys are now…

Hinting Musicians May Never Receive Their Payments at All, PledgeMusic Co-Founder Benji Rogers Pens Apology Which ‘Breaks My Heart’

In May, PledgeMusic’s embattled co-founder Benji Rogers issued a ‘heartfelt’ apology. After nearly a year of promising to return artists’ money “within 90 days,” the apparently regretful co-founder confirmed the troubled British crowdfunding platform w…

123 Artists File Amicus Brief in Led Zeppelin’s Closely Watched ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Lawsuit

The Led Zeppelin ‘Stairway to Heaven’ case is complicated, to say the least. It all started back in 2014 when a descendant of Randy Craig Wolfe, former Spirit band member and songwriter, made a ludicrous claim. Led Zeppelin allegedly ripped off Spirit’…

Katy Perry, Capitol Records, Dr. Luke Saddled With $2.7 Million in Copyright Infringement Damages Over ‘Dark Horse’

In a rapid jury deliberation, Katy Perry, her label, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Juicy J have been hit with a $2.7 million fine. That was fast. After just two days of deliberations, a federal jury in California has ordered damages of $2.7 million against…