Music Industry News
- BTS-nomics, overseas investment strategy, and the future of K-pop: 5 things we learned on HYBE’s Q1 earnings call
HYBE's Q1 2026 earnings call was dominated by the return of BTS. Here's what stood out… Source
- UMG tells appeals court Salt-N-Pepa termination bid lacks legal foundation
UMG argued that the termination provision "also places important limitations on when and how the right may be exercised.” Source
- SM Entertainment’s revenue surges 21% YoY in Q1 to $192M on strong concert, merch sales
SM’s revenue from concerts surged 56% YoY to KRW 60.8 billion ($42m), driven by tours from SUPER JUNIOR, NCT DREAM, aespa, RIIE and NCT WISH. Source
- Want to talk about ‘superfans’? Ask Live Nation.
"It's not even about just being 'premium'. It's just consumers will pay for a shorter line, better parking, better hospitality." Source
- Live Nation Q1 revenue hits $3.8B, up 12% YoY, but $450M legal accrual drives $371M operating loss
Live Nation largely attributed the loss to a $450 million legal accrual, which impacted its operating income and earnings per share by $1.93. Source
- From Wine to Diamonds, Every Major Consumer Industry Protects You From Fakes. Why Doesn’t Music?
Music supervisor and Catalog founder Frederic Schindler argues it's time for standardized 'Music Facts' labels – modeled on food nutrition panels – to make the origin of every track in the supply chain visible to consumers. Source
- A bill in France would force AI firms to prove they didn’t use copyrighted content to train their tech. The country’s music biz is urging lawmakers to pass it
The law would reverse the burden of proof in copyright disputes involving AI in France Source
- The US Copyright Office is hiking registration fees by 43%. Independent music orgs say many artists won’t be able to afford it.
With the fee hike, independent creators could lose access to the Copyright Claims Board, a more affordable way to pursue infringement cases, the coalition said. Source
- On… Universal, Spotify, Virgin, and the ‘leakage’ causing analyst discomfort.
This article orginally appeared in Tim Ingham’s latest ‘Tim’s Take’ email, issued exclusively to MBW+ subscribers. Source
- Leslie Ahrens promoted to Managing Director & EVP Creative Latin America at Kobalt
Kobalt elevates longtime exec Leslie Ahrens to lead Latin America, as Nestor Casonu exits after 11 years. Source