Vol 60 - You stepped inside with some news I ain't ever seen
We talk about Bruno, music mom group drama, Gov Ball lineup dropping & UMG x NVIDIA.
Happy Friday,
We talk about Bruno, music mom group drama, Gov Ball lineup dropping & UMG x NVIDIA.
Have thoughts on this week’s news? Just hit reply.
🎶 New albums and EPs from SAULT, Zach Bryan, The Kid LAROI, Diplo, French Montana & Max B, Viagra Boys, Jessica Baio, MAF Teeski, Clarent, Pecos & the Rooftops…
♪ Notable singles from Bruno Mars, Robyn, David Byrne, Luke Combs, Mumford & Sons, Father John Misty, Choker, Willa Ford, Ashley Kutcher, Ralph Castelli…
Each week, we go through Spotify’s New Music Friday playlists to highlight releases you should know about…
#1 - Alongside a headlining tour announcement, Bruno Mars returns with the first single off his upcoming album The Romantic, his first solo project since 2016.
#3 - A$AP Rocky unveils 'Punk Rocky,’ his first glimpse of his forthcoming album Don’t Be Dumb along with a music video featuring Thundercat, Winona Ryder & Danny Elfman.
#5 - Robyn drops two new tracks ahead of her upcoming ninth album Sexistential on March 27, with NMF featuring ‘Talk To Me.’
#6 - The anonymous British collective SAULT promise ‘Good Things Will Come After the Pressure’ on their newest studio album Chapter 1.
#12 - David Byrne releases a cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘drivers license’ for the original song’s fifth anniversary.
#14 - Mumford & Sons team up with Aaron Dessner and Jon Bellion on writing new track ‘The Banjo Song.’
⭐ #55 - After nearly 6 years, the enigmatic Choker is back with new single ‘Proof’ along with announcing an album coming out next month.
#77 - Ashley Kutcher shares ‘Hard Pill,’ a new cut from her upcoming album Back To My Roots & These Roots Run Deep, due Jan. 23rd.
#78 - Willa Ford returns to music after twenty years with her new self-love anthem ‘Love4Life.’
⭐ = our pick of the week. Usually an under the radar artist to keep an eye on.
A$AP Rocky, Madison Beer, Cavetown, Lexa Gates, Westside Cowboy, Vienna Vienna, The Funeral Portrait, Together Pangea, Xiu Xiu, Sleaford Mods, Peaer, I Promised The World, Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore all have new projects expected to come out next week.
Bruno Mars, BTS, Luke Combs, Robyn, Arcángel, Willie Nelson, Heavenly, Jill Scott, Maria BC, Iron & Wine, Buck Meek, Lala Lala all announced new albums this week.
UMG announced a new partnership with NVIDIA. MTV closed many of its music-only channels across various countries and will focus on reality tv and pop culture programming, so a superfan launched a MTV Rewind site with over 33K music videos. Spotify are making changes to their basic tier, telling anyone who cancels a basic plan that they will not be able to resubscribe to that plan tier. Napster is pivoting to focus on AI assistants after closing their music streaming service. Live Nation want the court to dismiss the DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit against the giant; Collapsed ticketing startup Fanimal also filed an antritrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, alleging they used anticompetitive tactics to keep the company out of the market. John Mayer and filmmaker McG purchased the Jim Henson Company Lot, now renamed Chaplin Studios. d4vd will likely face murder charges in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Indivisible sent an open letter to Spotify’s co-CEOs requesting a meeting to encourage Spotify to take responsible action and stop running ads from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency; Spotify confirmed the ads are no longer running. Hilary Duff’s husband Matthew Koma responded to Ashley Tisdale’s “tone deaf” essay on their “toxic” mom group.
The TikTok USA sell-off may not be a done deal?
Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit against UMG was dismissed by a judge. Will Smith was sued by a tour violinist for sexual harassment, wrongful termination and retaliation. Attorney Dina LaPolt sued former law partner Mariah Comer for defamation and breach of contract. Former NewJeans member Danielle was hit with a $31M lawsuit from label Ador. Sonny Bono’s widow Mary appealed a court ruling that determined Cher is still entitled to half of the publishing proceeds from the tracks ‘I Got You Babe’ and ‘Baby Don’t Go.’ Megan Thee Stallion opened her first franchise restaurant, a Popeyes in Miami. Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin was sued for allegedly sexually assaulting a young male congregant over almost a decade. Troy Carter acquired the Pop Art Records catalog, including debut releases from artists like Salt-N-Pepa and Roxanne Shanté.
Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson revealed that her twin infants were diagnosed with a rare muscle disorder. Leigh-Anne Pinnock said her label post-Little Mix ghosted her. Mary J. Blige won a dismissal for the lawsuit filed against her by former stylist Misa Hylton. Runaways’ Kari Krome reached a partial settlement in her lawsuit alleging Kim Fowley and Rodney Bingenheimer groomed and sexually abused her when she was 13. Muni Long countersued her ex-managers, claiming they made her spend 5 days in a mental health facility rather than getting her medical treatment for a lupus flare-up. SZA is auctioning off a fan meetup for Freedom for Sudan’s fundraiser. Bjork called for Greenland’s independence. Fetty Wap was released from prison 11 months earlier than expected.
Live Nation confirms acquisition of Paris La Défense Arena, Europe’s largest indoor venue
AI now makes up over 50% of newly released independent songs in China
AI-powered music production platform LANDR acquires Reason Studios
Universal Music acquires 30% stake in India’s Excel Entertainment
ERA reports £2B milestone for UK music streaming in 2025
Italy introduces €1.5M fund for live music industry
Brooklyn Mirage to be purchased by nightlife brand Pacha
Nuweb Group teams with ticket insurance company TicketPlan
Group Chat
The section that’ll probably get us in trouble one of these days
We’re off to quite a start!
Favorite saga to follow in 2025?
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 d4vd saga (47%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ diddy saga (13%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ drake/kendrick saga (20%)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ cardi/nicki saga (7%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ charli/taylor saga (13%)
🎸 Biggest tours announced this week: Bruno Mars, Chris Stapleton, Bryce Vine, Kameron Marlowe, Secondhand Serenade
After nearly a decade, Bruno Mars announced a headlining stadium tour in support of his upcoming album The Romantic, enlisting power acts Leon Thomas, Victoria Monét, RAYE & Anderson. Paak’s emcee persona DJ Pee. Wee as support.
Coupled with news of an upcoming album, BTS also teased a 2026 tour with actual dates dropping Jan 14th.
Live Nation will acquire Europe’s largest indoor venue, La Défense Arena in Paris, with plans to bring bigger shows and upgraded facilities. The 45K capacity venue is yet another recent LN acquisition, joining Movistar Arena in Chile and Impact Arena in Thailand.
Teddy Swims and Luke Combs will perform at EA Sports’ Madden Bowl in SF’s Chase Center on Super Bowl weekend.
🎟️ Festival Headlines:
Gov Ball announced its headliners will be Lorde, A$AP Rocky, Baby Keem, Stray Kids, Kali Uchis & JENNIE
Tomorrowland will debut in Thailand this December, marking the first Asia edition for the mega dance festival
Orlando will be the only US city to host Rolling Loud this year with the intent to bring the festival “back to the summer and build it without compromise”
Country Jam Naples will return in April with Gabby Barrett and Sara Evans co-headlining
❌ Cancellations:
Morrissey cancelled his California shows after an “adverse reaction to a prescription medication”
Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear will be absent from certain tour dates due to a broken foot
Chase Rice shared on socials he is “exhausted” from touring and will need “to step away for a while [to] go live life”
Red Light Management continues to add to its roster in 2026, starting the year off by signing Elderbrook. The British GRAMMY-nominated artist will be looked after by Luke Allen & Steve Satterthwaite.
21-year-old DannyLux signed a worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). The Mexican-American artist burst onto the scene in 2021 with his debut album Las Dos Caras Del Amor released via Interscope.
Australian singer-songwriter Ziggy Alberts locked in a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music for his catalog and future works. Having released six studio albums, the artist has already eclipsed 1B streams with new works on the way.
MAXI MERAKI, the electronic dance artist who has been a part of hit records like ‘Nothing On Me’ & ‘Body Conversations’, has landed with Gray Clemmer at The Shalizi Group for management. In 2026, he’s got plans at major festivals like EDC, Tomorrowland & a full Ibiza Summer.
Quirky carnival-pop duo Haute & Freddy have continued building out their team, this time adding on Eric Vogel & Elena Awbrey at JET Management alongside Melissa Woods Maskan at Cam Cam Arts. The group also signed a recording deal with Atlantic Records.
Coming over from Forward Motion Artists/Three Six Zero, artist manager Dorothy Caccavale has joined JET Management alongside her clients Nils Hoffmann, OMRI. & underscores.
+100 signings on ROSTR this week
Veteran booking agent Tony Goldring has joined CAA after 25 years at WME, where he previously led the international touring department; meanwhile music agent Brian Cohen has also left WME where his next move has yet to be announced. Fender has tapped Edward “Bud” Cole as its next CEO, with longtime chief Andy Mooney set to retire after a decade. James Steven steps in as UMG’s EVP & Chief Communications Officer starting January 26, overseeing global communications across the company and its operating labels. HYBE America has appointed veteran exec and former Motown CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam as President of Music, where she’ll oversee A&R and artist development and help drive the company’s long-term growth strategy. ASCAP elevates Hayley Dukes to SVP of Licensing, continuing her work under EVP Stephanie Ruyle.
Paul Smelt has been elevated to COO at peermusic, overseeing worldwide ops across 39 offices and 33 countries. Big Machine names Jay Cruze National Director, Radio Strategy, overseeing national radio strategy for Big Machine Records, The Valory, and Nashville Harbor Records. KMG has promoted Ross Robey to VP, overseeing strategy across catalog, partnerships, acquisitions, and ops. Natalie Otto was promoted to agent at WME. Jake Farbman has joined Hall Booth Smith’s Nashville office as an attorney in its Entertainment Practice group. Legends Global has promoted Amy Rahja to GM of Minneapolis’ Target Center, where she will oversee day-to-day ops of the 20,000-capacity venue.
Director of Marketing at Hundred Days Records (Remote, US)
Sr. POP/EDM Project Manager at ONErpm in NY
Sr. Day to Day Artist Manager at Three Six Zero in LA
Director, Regional Education NA/LATAM at Live Nation (Remote)
Director, Lifecycle Manager at AXS in London
↗ Find these and 200+ open roles at Jobs by ROSTR
Happy Friday,
We talk about Bruno, music mom group drama, Gov Ball lineup dropping & UMG x NVIDIA.
Have thoughts on this week’s news? Just hit reply.
🎶 New albums and EPs from SAULT, Zach Bryan, The Kid LAROI, Diplo, French Montana & Max B, Viagra Boys, Jessica Baio, MAF Teeski, Clarent, Pecos & the Rooftops…
♪ Notable singles from Bruno Mars, Robyn, David Byrne, Luke Combs, Mumford & Sons, Father John Misty, Choker, Willa Ford, Ashley Kutcher, Ralph Castelli…
Each week, we go through Spotify’s New Music Friday playlists to highlight releases you should know about…
#1 - Alongside a headlining tour announcement, Bruno Mars returns with the first single off his upcoming album The Romantic, his first solo project since 2016.
#3 - A$AP Rocky unveils 'Punk Rocky,’ his first glimpse of his forthcoming album Don’t Be Dumb along with a music video featuring Thundercat, Winona Ryder & Danny Elfman.
#5 - Robyn drops two new tracks ahead of her upcoming ninth album Sexistential on March 27, with NMF featuring ‘Talk To Me.’
#6 - The anonymous British collective SAULT promise ‘Good Things Will Come After the Pressure’ on their newest studio album Chapter 1.
#12 - David Byrne releases a cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘drivers license’ for the original song’s fifth anniversary.
#14 - Mumford & Sons team up with Aaron Dessner and Jon Bellion on writing new track ‘The Banjo Song.’
⭐ #55 - After nearly 6 years, the enigmatic Choker is back with new single ‘Proof’ along with announcing an album coming out next month.
#77 - Ashley Kutcher shares ‘Hard Pill,’ a new cut from her upcoming album Back To My Roots & These Roots Run Deep, due Jan. 23rd.
#78 - Willa Ford returns to music after twenty years with her new self-love anthem ‘Love4Life.’
⭐ = our pick of the week. Usually an under the radar artist to keep an eye on.
A$AP Rocky, Madison Beer, Cavetown, Lexa Gates, Westside Cowboy, Vienna Vienna, The Funeral Portrait, Together Pangea, Xiu Xiu, Sleaford Mods, Peaer, I Promised The World, Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore all have new projects expected to come out next week.
Bruno Mars, BTS, Luke Combs, Robyn, Arcángel, Willie Nelson, Heavenly, Jill Scott, Maria BC, Iron & Wine, Buck Meek, Lala Lala all announced new albums this week.
UMG announced a new partnership with NVIDIA. MTV closed many of its music-only channels across various countries and will focus on reality tv and pop culture programming, so a superfan launched a MTV Rewind site with over 33K music videos. Spotify are making changes to their basic tier, telling anyone who cancels a basic plan that they will not be able to resubscribe to that plan tier. Napster is pivoting to focus on AI assistants after closing their music streaming service. Live Nation want the court to dismiss the DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit against the giant; Collapsed ticketing startup Fanimal also filed an antritrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, alleging they used anticompetitive tactics to keep the company out of the market. John Mayer and filmmaker McG purchased the Jim Henson Company Lot, now renamed Chaplin Studios. d4vd will likely face murder charges in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Indivisible sent an open letter to Spotify’s co-CEOs requesting a meeting to encourage Spotify to take responsible action and stop running ads from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency; Spotify confirmed the ads are no longer running. Hilary Duff’s husband Matthew Koma responded to Ashley Tisdale’s “tone deaf” essay on their “toxic” mom group.
The TikTok USA sell-off may not be a done deal?
Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit against UMG was dismissed by a judge. Will Smith was sued by a tour violinist for sexual harassment, wrongful termination and retaliation. Attorney Dina LaPolt sued former law partner Mariah Comer for defamation and breach of contract. Former NewJeans member Danielle was hit with a $31M lawsuit from label Ador. Sonny Bono’s widow Mary appealed a court ruling that determined Cher is still entitled to half of the publishing proceeds from the tracks ‘I Got You Babe’ and ‘Baby Don’t Go.’ Megan Thee Stallion opened her first franchise restaurant, a Popeyes in Miami. Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin was sued for allegedly sexually assaulting a young male congregant over almost a decade. Troy Carter acquired the Pop Art Records catalog, including debut releases from artists like Salt-N-Pepa and Roxanne Shanté.
Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson revealed that her twin infants were diagnosed with a rare muscle disorder. Leigh-Anne Pinnock said her label post-Little Mix ghosted her. Mary J. Blige won a dismissal for the lawsuit filed against her by former stylist Misa Hylton. Runaways’ Kari Krome reached a partial settlement in her lawsuit alleging Kim Fowley and Rodney Bingenheimer groomed and sexually abused her when she was 13. Muni Long countersued her ex-managers, claiming they made her spend 5 days in a mental health facility rather than getting her medical treatment for a lupus flare-up. SZA is auctioning off a fan meetup for Freedom for Sudan’s fundraiser. Bjork called for Greenland’s independence. Fetty Wap was released from prison 11 months earlier than expected.
Live Nation confirms acquisition of Paris La Défense Arena, Europe’s largest indoor venue
AI now makes up over 50% of newly released independent songs in China
AI-powered music production platform LANDR acquires Reason Studios
Universal Music acquires 30% stake in India’s Excel Entertainment
ERA reports £2B milestone for UK music streaming in 2025
Italy introduces €1.5M fund for live music industry
Brooklyn Mirage to be purchased by nightlife brand Pacha
Nuweb Group teams with ticket insurance company TicketPlan
Group Chat
The section that’ll probably get us in trouble one of these days
We’re off to quite a start!
Favorite saga to follow in 2025?
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 d4vd saga (47%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ diddy saga (13%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ drake/kendrick saga (20%)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ cardi/nicki saga (7%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ charli/taylor saga (13%)
🎸 Biggest tours announced this week: Bruno Mars, Chris Stapleton, Bryce Vine, Kameron Marlowe, Secondhand Serenade
After nearly a decade, Bruno Mars announced a headlining stadium tour in support of his upcoming album The Romantic, enlisting power acts Leon Thomas, Victoria Monét, RAYE & Anderson. Paak’s emcee persona DJ Pee. Wee as support.
Coupled with news of an upcoming album, BTS also teased a 2026 tour with actual dates dropping Jan 14th.
Live Nation will acquire Europe’s largest indoor venue, La Défense Arena in Paris, with plans to bring bigger shows and upgraded facilities. The 45K capacity venue is yet another recent LN acquisition, joining Movistar Arena in Chile and Impact Arena in Thailand.
Teddy Swims and Luke Combs will perform at EA Sports’ Madden Bowl in SF’s Chase Center on Super Bowl weekend.
🎟️ Festival Headlines:
Gov Ball announced its headliners will be Lorde, A$AP Rocky, Baby Keem, Stray Kids, Kali Uchis & JENNIE
Tomorrowland will debut in Thailand this December, marking the first Asia edition for the mega dance festival
Orlando will be the only US city to host Rolling Loud this year with the intent to bring the festival “back to the summer and build it without compromise”
Country Jam Naples will return in April with Gabby Barrett and Sara Evans co-headlining
❌ Cancellations:
Morrissey cancelled his California shows after an “adverse reaction to a prescription medication”
Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear will be absent from certain tour dates due to a broken foot
Chase Rice shared on socials he is “exhausted” from touring and will need “to step away for a while [to] go live life”
Red Light Management continues to add to its roster in 2026, starting the year off by signing Elderbrook. The British GRAMMY-nominated artist will be looked after by Luke Allen & Steve Satterthwaite.
21-year-old DannyLux signed a worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). The Mexican-American artist burst onto the scene in 2021 with his debut album Las Dos Caras Del Amor released via Interscope.
Australian singer-songwriter Ziggy Alberts locked in a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music for his catalog and future works. Having released six studio albums, the artist has already eclipsed 1B streams with new works on the way.
MAXI MERAKI, the electronic dance artist who has been a part of hit records like ‘Nothing On Me’ & ‘Body Conversations’, has landed with Gray Clemmer at The Shalizi Group for management. In 2026, he’s got plans at major festivals like EDC, Tomorrowland & a full Ibiza Summer.
Quirky carnival-pop duo Haute & Freddy have continued building out their team, this time adding on Eric Vogel & Elena Awbrey at JET Management alongside Melissa Woods Maskan at Cam Cam Arts. The group also signed a recording deal with Atlantic Records.
Coming over from Forward Motion Artists/Three Six Zero, artist manager Dorothy Caccavale has joined JET Management alongside her clients Nils Hoffmann, OMRI. & underscores.
+100 signings on ROSTR this week
Veteran booking agent Tony Goldring has joined CAA after 25 years at WME, where he previously led the international touring department; meanwhile music agent Brian Cohen has also left WME where his next move has yet to be announced. Fender has tapped Edward “Bud” Cole as its next CEO, with longtime chief Andy Mooney set to retire after a decade. James Steven steps in as UMG’s EVP & Chief Communications Officer starting January 26, overseeing global communications across the company and its operating labels. HYBE America has appointed veteran exec and former Motown CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam as President of Music, where she’ll oversee A&R and artist development and help drive the company’s long-term growth strategy. ASCAP elevates Hayley Dukes to SVP of Licensing, continuing her work under EVP Stephanie Ruyle.
Paul Smelt has been elevated to COO at peermusic, overseeing worldwide ops across 39 offices and 33 countries. Big Machine names Jay Cruze National Director, Radio Strategy, overseeing national radio strategy for Big Machine Records, The Valory, and Nashville Harbor Records. KMG has promoted Ross Robey to VP, overseeing strategy across catalog, partnerships, acquisitions, and ops. Natalie Otto was promoted to agent at WME. Jake Farbman has joined Hall Booth Smith’s Nashville office as an attorney in its Entertainment Practice group. Legends Global has promoted Amy Rahja to GM of Minneapolis’ Target Center, where she will oversee day-to-day ops of the 20,000-capacity venue.
Director of Marketing at Hundred Days Records (Remote, US)
Sr. POP/EDM Project Manager at ONErpm in NY
Sr. Day to Day Artist Manager at Three Six Zero in LA
Director, Regional Education NA/LATAM at Live Nation (Remote)
Director, Lifecycle Manager at AXS in London
↗ Find these and 200+ open roles at Jobs by ROSTR
Happy Friday,
We talk about Bruno, music mom group drama, Gov Ball lineup dropping & UMG x NVIDIA.
Have thoughts on this week’s news? Just hit reply.
🎶 New albums and EPs from SAULT, Zach Bryan, The Kid LAROI, Diplo, French Montana & Max B, Viagra Boys, Jessica Baio, MAF Teeski, Clarent, Pecos & the Rooftops…
♪ Notable singles from Bruno Mars, Robyn, David Byrne, Luke Combs, Mumford & Sons, Father John Misty, Choker, Willa Ford, Ashley Kutcher, Ralph Castelli…
Each week, we go through Spotify’s New Music Friday playlists to highlight releases you should know about…
#1 - Alongside a headlining tour announcement, Bruno Mars returns with the first single off his upcoming album The Romantic, his first solo project since 2016.
#3 - A$AP Rocky unveils 'Punk Rocky,’ his first glimpse of his forthcoming album Don’t Be Dumb along with a music video featuring Thundercat, Winona Ryder & Danny Elfman.
#5 - Robyn drops two new tracks ahead of her upcoming ninth album Sexistential on March 27, with NMF featuring ‘Talk To Me.’
#6 - The anonymous British collective SAULT promise ‘Good Things Will Come After the Pressure’ on their newest studio album Chapter 1.
#12 - David Byrne releases a cover of Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘drivers license’ for the original song’s fifth anniversary.
#14 - Mumford & Sons team up with Aaron Dessner and Jon Bellion on writing new track ‘The Banjo Song.’
⭐ #55 - After nearly 6 years, the enigmatic Choker is back with new single ‘Proof’ along with announcing an album coming out next month.
#77 - Ashley Kutcher shares ‘Hard Pill,’ a new cut from her upcoming album Back To My Roots & These Roots Run Deep, due Jan. 23rd.
#78 - Willa Ford returns to music after twenty years with her new self-love anthem ‘Love4Life.’
⭐ = our pick of the week. Usually an under the radar artist to keep an eye on.
A$AP Rocky, Madison Beer, Cavetown, Lexa Gates, Westside Cowboy, Vienna Vienna, The Funeral Portrait, Together Pangea, Xiu Xiu, Sleaford Mods, Peaer, I Promised The World, Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore all have new projects expected to come out next week.
Bruno Mars, BTS, Luke Combs, Robyn, Arcángel, Willie Nelson, Heavenly, Jill Scott, Maria BC, Iron & Wine, Buck Meek, Lala Lala all announced new albums this week.
UMG announced a new partnership with NVIDIA. MTV closed many of its music-only channels across various countries and will focus on reality tv and pop culture programming, so a superfan launched a MTV Rewind site with over 33K music videos. Spotify are making changes to their basic tier, telling anyone who cancels a basic plan that they will not be able to resubscribe to that plan tier. Napster is pivoting to focus on AI assistants after closing their music streaming service. Live Nation want the court to dismiss the DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit against the giant; Collapsed ticketing startup Fanimal also filed an antritrust lawsuit against Live Nation and Ticketmaster, alleging they used anticompetitive tactics to keep the company out of the market. John Mayer and filmmaker McG purchased the Jim Henson Company Lot, now renamed Chaplin Studios. d4vd will likely face murder charges in connection with the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Indivisible sent an open letter to Spotify’s co-CEOs requesting a meeting to encourage Spotify to take responsible action and stop running ads from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency; Spotify confirmed the ads are no longer running. Hilary Duff’s husband Matthew Koma responded to Ashley Tisdale’s “tone deaf” essay on their “toxic” mom group.
The TikTok USA sell-off may not be a done deal?
Salt-N-Pepa’s lawsuit against UMG was dismissed by a judge. Will Smith was sued by a tour violinist for sexual harassment, wrongful termination and retaliation. Attorney Dina LaPolt sued former law partner Mariah Comer for defamation and breach of contract. Former NewJeans member Danielle was hit with a $31M lawsuit from label Ador. Sonny Bono’s widow Mary appealed a court ruling that determined Cher is still entitled to half of the publishing proceeds from the tracks ‘I Got You Babe’ and ‘Baby Don’t Go.’ Megan Thee Stallion opened her first franchise restaurant, a Popeyes in Miami. Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin was sued for allegedly sexually assaulting a young male congregant over almost a decade. Troy Carter acquired the Pop Art Records catalog, including debut releases from artists like Salt-N-Pepa and Roxanne Shanté.
Little Mix’s Jesy Nelson revealed that her twin infants were diagnosed with a rare muscle disorder. Leigh-Anne Pinnock said her label post-Little Mix ghosted her. Mary J. Blige won a dismissal for the lawsuit filed against her by former stylist Misa Hylton. Runaways’ Kari Krome reached a partial settlement in her lawsuit alleging Kim Fowley and Rodney Bingenheimer groomed and sexually abused her when she was 13. Muni Long countersued her ex-managers, claiming they made her spend 5 days in a mental health facility rather than getting her medical treatment for a lupus flare-up. SZA is auctioning off a fan meetup for Freedom for Sudan’s fundraiser. Bjork called for Greenland’s independence. Fetty Wap was released from prison 11 months earlier than expected.
Live Nation confirms acquisition of Paris La Défense Arena, Europe’s largest indoor venue
AI now makes up over 50% of newly released independent songs in China
AI-powered music production platform LANDR acquires Reason Studios
Universal Music acquires 30% stake in India’s Excel Entertainment
ERA reports £2B milestone for UK music streaming in 2025
Italy introduces €1.5M fund for live music industry
Brooklyn Mirage to be purchased by nightlife brand Pacha
Nuweb Group teams with ticket insurance company TicketPlan
Group Chat
The section that’ll probably get us in trouble one of these days
We’re off to quite a start!
Favorite saga to follow in 2025?
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 d4vd saga (47%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ diddy saga (13%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ drake/kendrick saga (20%)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ cardi/nicki saga (7%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ charli/taylor saga (13%)
🎸 Biggest tours announced this week: Bruno Mars, Chris Stapleton, Bryce Vine, Kameron Marlowe, Secondhand Serenade
After nearly a decade, Bruno Mars announced a headlining stadium tour in support of his upcoming album The Romantic, enlisting power acts Leon Thomas, Victoria Monét, RAYE & Anderson. Paak’s emcee persona DJ Pee. Wee as support.
Coupled with news of an upcoming album, BTS also teased a 2026 tour with actual dates dropping Jan 14th.
Live Nation will acquire Europe’s largest indoor venue, La Défense Arena in Paris, with plans to bring bigger shows and upgraded facilities. The 45K capacity venue is yet another recent LN acquisition, joining Movistar Arena in Chile and Impact Arena in Thailand.
Teddy Swims and Luke Combs will perform at EA Sports’ Madden Bowl in SF’s Chase Center on Super Bowl weekend.
🎟️ Festival Headlines:
Gov Ball announced its headliners will be Lorde, A$AP Rocky, Baby Keem, Stray Kids, Kali Uchis & JENNIE
Tomorrowland will debut in Thailand this December, marking the first Asia edition for the mega dance festival
Orlando will be the only US city to host Rolling Loud this year with the intent to bring the festival “back to the summer and build it without compromise”
Country Jam Naples will return in April with Gabby Barrett and Sara Evans co-headlining
❌ Cancellations:
Morrissey cancelled his California shows after an “adverse reaction to a prescription medication”
Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear will be absent from certain tour dates due to a broken foot
Chase Rice shared on socials he is “exhausted” from touring and will need “to step away for a while [to] go live life”
Red Light Management continues to add to its roster in 2026, starting the year off by signing Elderbrook. The British GRAMMY-nominated artist will be looked after by Luke Allen & Steve Satterthwaite.
21-year-old DannyLux signed a worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). The Mexican-American artist burst onto the scene in 2021 with his debut album Las Dos Caras Del Amor released via Interscope.
Australian singer-songwriter Ziggy Alberts locked in a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music for his catalog and future works. Having released six studio albums, the artist has already eclipsed 1B streams with new works on the way.
MAXI MERAKI, the electronic dance artist who has been a part of hit records like ‘Nothing On Me’ & ‘Body Conversations’, has landed with Gray Clemmer at The Shalizi Group for management. In 2026, he’s got plans at major festivals like EDC, Tomorrowland & a full Ibiza Summer.
Quirky carnival-pop duo Haute & Freddy have continued building out their team, this time adding on Eric Vogel & Elena Awbrey at JET Management alongside Melissa Woods Maskan at Cam Cam Arts. The group also signed a recording deal with Atlantic Records.
Coming over from Forward Motion Artists/Three Six Zero, artist manager Dorothy Caccavale has joined JET Management alongside her clients Nils Hoffmann, OMRI. & underscores.
+100 signings on ROSTR this week
Veteran booking agent Tony Goldring has joined CAA after 25 years at WME, where he previously led the international touring department; meanwhile music agent Brian Cohen has also left WME where his next move has yet to be announced. Fender has tapped Edward “Bud” Cole as its next CEO, with longtime chief Andy Mooney set to retire after a decade. James Steven steps in as UMG’s EVP & Chief Communications Officer starting January 26, overseeing global communications across the company and its operating labels. HYBE America has appointed veteran exec and former Motown CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam as President of Music, where she’ll oversee A&R and artist development and help drive the company’s long-term growth strategy. ASCAP elevates Hayley Dukes to SVP of Licensing, continuing her work under EVP Stephanie Ruyle.
Paul Smelt has been elevated to COO at peermusic, overseeing worldwide ops across 39 offices and 33 countries. Big Machine names Jay Cruze National Director, Radio Strategy, overseeing national radio strategy for Big Machine Records, The Valory, and Nashville Harbor Records. KMG has promoted Ross Robey to VP, overseeing strategy across catalog, partnerships, acquisitions, and ops. Natalie Otto was promoted to agent at WME. Jake Farbman has joined Hall Booth Smith’s Nashville office as an attorney in its Entertainment Practice group. Legends Global has promoted Amy Rahja to GM of Minneapolis’ Target Center, where she will oversee day-to-day ops of the 20,000-capacity venue.
Director of Marketing at Hundred Days Records (Remote, US)
Sr. POP/EDM Project Manager at ONErpm in NY
Sr. Day to Day Artist Manager at Three Six Zero in LA
Director, Regional Education NA/LATAM at Live Nation (Remote)
Director, Lifecycle Manager at AXS in London
↗ Find these and 200+ open roles at Jobs by ROSTR
Bruno Mars
A$AP Rocky
Live Nation
NVIDIA
Spotify
Ticketmaster
Gov Ball
Tony Goldring
Universal Music Group (UMG)
Weekly Music Industry Recap
Artist Comeback Singles
Festival Lineup Announcements
Rising Tide of Music Litigation
Antitrust Scrutiny in Live Music
AI In Music
Major Label Executive Poaching
Festival International Expansion
Major Labels Expanding Into Asia
Music Catalog Acquisitions
Decline Of Music Television
Artist Management Signings
Rising Artist Burnout
Artist Response to Immigration Policy
Fan-Led Digital Archiving
Celebrity Social Media Disputes
New Music Friday
Tour Announcements
Industry News Roundup
Litigation
Antitrust
Motion to Dismiss
Countersuit
Legal Blotter
Mergers & Acquisitions
Venue Acquisition
Catalog Sales
Festival Announcements
Tour Cancellations
Artist Signings
Publishing Deals
Executive Appointments
Executive Promotions
Ticketing
Subscription Tier Removal
Broadcast Channel Closure
Weekly Roundup
Industry Job Listings
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