Five Months After Launching in India, Spotify Barely Has Over 2 Million Local Users

Shifting the global music streaming race, Spotify recently rolled out its ‘Lite’ app in over 36 countries. The move comes after a year of testing the 15 MB app in small countries, including Brazil. So, what makes the ‘Lite’ app so unique?  Spotify allo…

Billionaire Mogul and Power Rangers Producer Haim Saban Launches Saban Music Group

Last year, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s ‘Despacito’ took the music industry by storm. After just eight months on YouTube, the popular Spanish-only single overtook Wiz Khalifa’s ‘See You Again’ and Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style.’  The song emerged as the most-w…

Despite an Ex-Employee’s Rebuttal, UMG Sticks to Its ’22 Lost Master Recordings’ Story, Telling a Judge to Dismiss a $100 Million Lawsuit Over the 2008 Fire

So, just how bad is the damage following the 2008 Universal Studios fire? According to the New York Times, very, very bad. With the fire destroying Building 6197, which housed master tape catalogs of numerous labels acquired by Universal Music Group (U…

YouTube Remains Silent on Whether Relatively Unknown Indian Rapper Badshah Actually Broke Taylor Swift and BTS’ Respective Most-Viewed Records

According to Sony Music, an Indian artist on its roster single-handedly broke Taylor Swift and BTS’ respective YouTube record. Or so it seems. Currently, Taylor Swift’s single ‘Me!’ holds the 24-hour most-viewed record with 65.4 million.  Ariana Grande…

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, July 17th. 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 an…

Alda Events Argues Paul van Dyk Doesn’t Have the Right to Receive $12.6 Million Awarded Following Near-Fatal 2016 Fall

Three years ago, Paul van Dyk fell off the stage at a music festival in the Netherlands. The horrific fall, which nearly killed the German DJ, left him with a severe brain injury and damage to his spine. Paul van Dyk – real name Matthias Paul – pinned …

Universal Music Says Just 22 ‘Original Masters’ Were Destroyed In the 2008 Fire — Affecting Just 5 Artists

The claims coincide with Universal Music Group’s efforts to toss a class action lawsuit carrying damages of $100 million. Perhaps the 2008 Universal Studios fire was just a bunch of billowing smoke? That seems to be the position of Universal Music Grou…

Controversial Grammys Producer Ken Ehrlich Is Leaving the Recording Academy

The 62nd Grammy ceremony in 2020 will be Ken Ehrlich’s last production. The Recording Academy officially made the announcement earlier today (Wednesday), while naming Ben Winston as its newest producer. Next year’s show will be dubbed Ehrlich’s 40th an…

A Recovering Gibson Relocates Into Downtown Nashville — and Relaunches Its Gibson Foundation

Gibson, which filed for bankruptcy in May 2018, is now showing signs of recovery. Gibson has just announced plans to move its headquarters to downtown Nashville. And after years of silence, the company is also relaunching the Gibson Foundation, a chari…

After Turning Down a $3 Million Major Label Deal for UnitedMasters, NLE Choppa Signs to Warner Music Group

Maybe Warner Music offered $4 million? It was the high-profile coup that Alphabet-funded UnitedMasters was waiting for. After provoking a high-priced, major label bidding war earlier this year, Memphis rapper NLE Choppa turned them all down — including…