The UK recorded music market has passed a major financial milestone, with industry revenue exceeding £1.5 billion for the first time in 2025. Figures released by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) show that total recorded music revenue rose 5.0% year-on-year to £1.57 billion, marking the 11th consecutive year of growth for the sector. The surge […]
Spotify says the modern music business has become the most global and diverse in history as the streaming platform marks its 20th anniversary. New figures from the company’s annual Spotify Loud & Clear Report highlight how streaming has transformed the economics of music over the past decade, creating new income opportunities for artists while opening
Spotify Turns 20 As Streaming Era Creates The Most Global Music Industry In History Read More »
YouTube Music has launched AI-generated playlists for Premium subscribers on iOS and Android. The feature, announced this week via an update from YouTube’s official channels, allows paying users to create personalised playlists using a simple text or voice prompt. There is no confirmation yet on when or if it will roll out to desktop. The
YouTube Music Adds AI-Generated Playlists For Premium Subscribers Read More »
SoundCloud has released its 2026 Music Intelligence Report, outlining the fastest-growing genres and listener shifts on the platform. The annual report spotlights emerging scenes including Eclectic New Indie, Mexican Reggaeton, DMV Rap and harder strains of techno, alongside fresh data on hip hop’s evolution. The findings are based on streaming trends across SoundCloud’s global user
SoundCloud 2026 Music Trends Report Highlights Eclectic New Indie And Evolving Hip Hop Read More »
Spotify paid out more than $11 billion to artists and the wider music industry in 2025, according to a statement on the Spotify for Artists blog by Charlie Hellman, Spotify’s Head of Music. The total marks a year-on-year increase of over 10 percent and is the largest annual payout to music creators from any retailer
Spotify Paid Over $11bn To Artists In 2025 Read More »
More than half of the UK’s grassroots music venues operated at a loss in 2025, according to new figures from the Music Venue Trust, underlining the fragile state of the country’s live music ecosystem. MVT’s Annual Report 2025 reveals that 53 percent of grassroots music venues failed to turn a profit last year, despite the
UK Grassroots Music Venues Struggled To Break Even In 2025, New Data Shows Read More »
Most Gen Z and millennial listeners in the US are already spending time each week with AI-generated music, according to new research from Morgan Stanley. The bank’s latest annual survey of audio habits is the first to ask directly about AI music. Its findings suggest that AI tracks are quietly becoming part of everyday listening,
Majority Of Young Americans Listen To AI Music, Morgan Stanley Claims Read More »
Ed Sheeran has added a modern twist to traditional album sales with the launch of Play, released on 12 September 2025. Alongside its streaming push, Sheeran introduced a unique piece of merchandise that doubles as a chart-eligible format: the Play Portman Road Commemorative Lanyard. What are Ed Sheeran’s Play NFC lanyards? The pink lanyards, created
Ed Sheeran’s Play Album Gets Innovative NFC Lanyard Release Read More »
The Weeknd has set another record. His global smash Blinding Lights has become the first song in history to surpass five billion streams on Spotify. Spotify executives confirmed the milestone on 31 August 2025, posting on Instagram: “On August 31st, 2025, The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights became the first song to reach 5 billion streams on
The Weeknd’s ‘Blinding Lights’ Becomes First Song To Reach 5 Billion Spotify Streams Read More »
UK Music’s Hometown Glory report, released July 1, reveals that music tourism in the UK hit an all-time high in 2024. A record 23.5 million “music tourists” flocked to concerts and festivals, an increase of roughly 23 percent year on year, generating a total spend of £10 billion, up from around £8 billion in 2023 Key highlights 23.5 million
UK Music Tourism Hits £10 Billion For The First Time In 2024 Read More »
