Vol 63 - The Great Subscribe

Happy Friday,

Your voter guide refresh for Sunday, musicians against ICE & how many zeroes are in 13 trillion?

Have thoughts on this week’s news? Just hit reply.

New Music Friday

What you need to know about today’s new releases

🎶 New albums and EPs from Don Toliver, fakemink, Jordan Ward, Labrinth, Terrace Martin, Yumi Zouma, MARO, Vwillz, Softcult, xaviersobased, A.G. Cook, Nicky Jam…

♪ Notable singles from Noah Kahan, Ella Langley, Melanie Martinez, Thundercat, fakemink, John Summit, Paul Russell, Cannons, Choker, A*Teens, Cloonee, MARIS…

Each week, we go through Spotify’s New Music Friday playlists to highlight releases you should know about…

#1 - Noah Kahan drops new single ‘The Great Divide’ ahead of his new album coming April 24th.

#4 - Ella Langley announces sophomore album (dropping April 10th) along with new single ‘Dandelion.’ The album will be executive produced by Miranda Lambert and Ben West.

#8 - Thundercat recruits Lil Yachty and longtime collaborator Flying Lotus for the groovy ‘I Did This To Myself.’

#9 - HARDY releases ‘McArthur,’ a collaborative single with Tim McGraw, Eric Church and Morgan Wallen that assigns each artist a distinct character within the McArthur family.

#11 - UK garage producer MJ Cole and PinkPantheress join forces on new single ‘Still Sincere.’

#20 - British rapper and producer fakemink drops his latest EP The Boy who cried Terrified. with ‘fml.’ landing on today’s playlist.

#35 - Bruce Springsteen aka The Boss, releases anti-ICE anthem ‘Streets of Minneapolis.’

#64 - Following the massive success of The Emotions-sampled ‘Lil Boo Thang,’ Paul Russell drops his highly anticipated ‘High Maintenance,’ this time sampling Luther Vandross’ ‘Never Too Much.’

#85 - Ian Munsick drops his first track, ‘Geronimo’ since partnering up with Triple Tigers Records, co-written by Devin Dawson & Mike Robinson.

⭐ #91 - A*Teens are back after 22 years with new single ‘Iconic,’ aiming to represent Sweden at Eurovision.

⭐ = our pick of the week. Usually an under the radar artist to keep an eye on.

The Schedule

Notable upcoming releases

J. Cole, Ella Mai, Nick Jonas, Joji, ILLENIUM, Silversun Pickups, RAAHiiM, Dave Matthews Band, IST IST, Mandy, Indiana, Puma Blue, Jay Buchanan, Puscifer, Ratboys all have new projects expected to come out next week.

Noah Kahan, Thundercat, Tom Misch, fakemink, James Blake, Dasha, KNEECAP, Foo Fighters, Cannons, Naomi Scott, Ella Langley, Tom Misch, xaviersobased, Shinichi Atobe, Maisie Peters, Atlus, Lilas, Green-House, King Tuff, Miss Grit, Sideshow, ADULT. all announced new albums this week.

ICYMI

Industry news that mattered this week

Make sure you’re caught up on all of the noms ahead of this weekend’s GRAMMYs with our Voter Guide. 

Sly Dunbar of Reggae Rhythm Section’s Sly and Robbie passed away at 73. Spotify joined UMG, Warner and Sony in suing Anna’s Archive for (yes you’re reading that number right) $13 trillion. NVIDIA was accused of training its AI on the data scraped by Anna’s Archive. Spotify paid out $11B to the music industry annually. Music publishers sued Anthropic for $3B. Pharrell Williams was sued by his former Neptunes partner Chad Hugo over an alleged $1M in unpaid royalties. Neil Young gave his entire musical catalog to Greenland for free. Backline Care, a charity providing mental health care for musicians, launched a new 24-hour mental health crisis hotline called B-LINE. Lady Gaga, Ice-T, Tom Morello and more spoke out against ICE.

Kid Rock will testify at the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee public hearing on live event ticket sale practices. Phil Collins revealed he is under 24-hour care as he deals with ongoing health issues. Marilyn Manson’s ex-assistant revived her lawsuit against him after it was bounced around the courts since 2021. Zac Brown won a lawsuit against his ex-wife to return confidential business records that she took from him. Slipknot withdrew their lawsuit against the owners of slipknot.com. A lawsuit against Drake for alleged copyright infringement was dropped. Ray J shared an update that he only has months to live due to heart issues. Netflix and 50 Cent were sued by a former sex worker who appeared in the Diddy documentary. A$AP Rocky will receive the Vanguard Award for Fashion at the 2026 NAACP Image Awards Fashion Show. Mötley Crüe won their legal battle against guitarist Mick Mars.

small print

Updates on companies, acquisitions, takeovers and more

• Primary Wave invests in music financing platform RUN

• Native Instruments begins preliminary insolvency proceedings

• Miranda Lambert’s catalog acquired by Sony Music Publishing/Domain Capital

• Sonic Intelligence Academy debuts world’s first AI music charts

• Opendate announces $14M Series A raise led by High Alpha

• Music publisher Wixen sues Meta, claiming Brazen Tactics to replace songwriters with AI

• Secretly Distribution to distribute Ipecac Recordings globally

• Primary Wave and Nas Nuvens acquire Gilberto Gil’s catalog

• Range Sports acquires live experiences company Superfly

• UMG launches new live streaming channel on Twitch

• Universal Music acquires equity interest in Stationhead

• Sony Music Group enters investment partnership with GIC

• Deezer receives 60,000 fully AI-generated tracks every day

Group Chat

The section that’ll probably get us in trouble one of these days

Listen, we don’t make the rules.

And a tale as old as time…

GRAMMY party you're most or least excited about

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 100 under 100 (47%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Spotify BNA (11%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ UMG (11%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ The Orchard (11%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ WMG (11%)
🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Amazon Music (11%)

The Live World

Tour, festival and other live news

🎸 Biggest tours announced this week: Kid Cudi, Ne-Yo & Akon, Summer Walker, Cameron Whitcomb, Death Cab for Cutie

Harry Styles has doubled the dates of his Wembley Stadium mini-residency, upping from 6 nights to 12. The extension is in response to the massive demand for tickets, and puts the pop star on track to break the record for the most nights played at Wembley Stadium in one year by any act in history. Coldplay previously held this record with 10 nights. London is just one stop of his Together, Together tour, which includes 30 dates at Madison Square Garden in NYC.

Styles is also the latest artist to pledge £1 from every ticket of his Wembley run to the UK's LIVE Trust, a charity that supports the grassroots scene in music and distributes funds from proceeds raised. With 12 shows and a 90K capacity, the pledge would raise ~$1.5M.

Keeping it across the pond, immersive entertainment district and mixed-use development Outernet London shared they have partnered with venue management group Legends Global. As part of the agreement, Legends Global will support programming, operations, premium sales, partnerships & food and beverage to all Outernet locations. Legends Global recently brought Olympia London, Wembley Stadium & Chelsea Football Club under its management roof.

Goldenvoice partnered with the SF Giants to launch Club Darc, a seasonal music series at Pier 48 in San Francisco, which will feature performances on select weekends February through May from artists including Peggy Gou, Mau P, Armand Van Helden, Chris Stussy & more.

The Bay Area will also see Teddy Swims headline the Super Bowl LX Tailgate Concert in Santa Clara next Sunday.

BTS have sold 2.4M tickets to their upcoming tour as of last Saturday, fully selling out their North American & Europe dates. The clean out has led to additional nights in cities including El Paso, Mexico City, Stanford & Las Vegas.

🎟️ Festival Headlines:

• Parklife announced Calvin Harris, Sammy Virji & Skepta as its headliners for the late June festival in Manchester

• Australia's heavy metal cruise festival Hellbound is already set to sail again for 4 nights next January, following its maiden voyage, which will take place this October, selling out in 10 minutes; Parkway Drive, Polaris, Northlane & others are set to perform for the inaugural edition

• Washington D.C.'s Liberation Weekend, benefiting trans liberation and mutual aid, will return with headliners Laura Jane Grace, Ekko Astral & Illuminati Hotties

• Lily Allen rounds out the headliners for Boardmasters 2026, joining Fatboy Slim & Kasabian for the music and surfing event at Newquay's Watergate Bay

• Protoje's Jamaica-based Lost in Time will return next month, where he will headline alongside Chronixx for the 3rd iteration of the festival

• The Red Clay Strays will host their inaugural Fan Fest 2026, a 5-night festival in Montana that will feature performances by Lukas Nelson and St. Paul & the Broken Bones

• The Red Clay Strays will also headline the debut Minnesota Country Club festival along with Treaty Oak Revival this July; Charley Crockett, Jessie Murph, Stephen Wilson Jr., & more have confirmed sets

• The Atlanta Braves will host their inaugural Braves Country Fest at their home stadium this June with headliners Cody Johnson & Ella Langley taking the stage

❌ Cancellations:

• Philip Glass cancelled his Kennedy Center symphony premiere, stating the "values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony"

• After Ludacris' exit, Carter Faith and Morgan Wade follow suit dropping out of Kid Rock's Rock the Country 2026 tour due to its strong MAGA-association

Fresh Ink

Interesting artist signings

Major pop stable Good World Management (Ariana Grande, Mark Ronson, Charli xcx) added its newest artist to the roster with Conan Gray joining. The 27-year-old singer released his newest album, Wishbone, in August and already has two songs from previous projects that have eclipsed the 1B mark on Spotify.

Indie rock’s Death Cab for Cutie has joined the ANTI- records family alongside announcing a summer headlining tour. The band was previously with WMG’s Atlantic Records for 22 years and 5 albums, including hit project Plans.

Florida rapper Kodak Black has landed at Wasserman Music for touring with agents Brent Smith, Matt Elam & Ebony Burnside signing on worldwide. The platinum-selling artist released his latest album, Just Getting Started, via Vulture Love/Capitol Records in October.

Executive producer on recent hit album The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean, Zach Nahome signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) & NWS Music Group. The writer-producer has also worked with artists such as PinkPantheress, Loyal Carner, Justin Bieber, Maverick Sabre & others.

NYC-based band Rebounder has signed with Alex Feig at Bad Habit for management. The collective has been busy the last handful of years supporting acts like Phoenix, Cults, Inhaler, The Neighbourhood & others, and are now gearing up to release new music after signing a recent deal with Nettwerk Music Group.

Former ATC Management staff Eddie Bezalel & Verne Patrick have launched LA-based company Infinite Games. The roster kicks off with artists DannyLux, Cuco & Ging. 

+175 signings on ROSTR this week

On The Move

New hires, exec moves and other people news

Atlantic has elevated Kevin Weaver to President, a newly created role focused on soundtracks, partnerships, gaming, and sync across its label group. Former BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch has been named Chairman of Hyph, the Sweden-born music creation platform. Superstruct Entertainment has named UK-based venue executive Rebecca Kane Burton COO, bringing more than 30 years of live entertainment experience to the company. Edwin Schröter, a 25+ year veteran of [PIAS], has been named CEO of the [PIAS] Label Group. The National Music Publishers’ Association has elevated two longtime leaders, naming Danielle Aguirre Chief Legal Officer and COO and promoting Charlotte Sellmyer to EVP, External Affairs. Both will continue overseeing key legal, operational, and advocacy efforts at the organization. Live Nation taps Fabiano De Queiroz as SVP of Global Touring, Latin America.

Independent booking agency Ground Control Touring has appointed Keith Richards (not the guitarist of The Rolling Stones) as its first Head of Festivals and Joy Hubbard as Festivals Coordinator as part of the expansion of the agency's festival department, coinciding with its 25th anniversary and a company-wide rebrand.

JP Evangelista has been elevated to EVP of Content, Programming & Marketing at Vevo, taking on a broader role across content, marketing, and global programming. Alexandria “Lexi” Todd has been promoted to Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Primary Wave Music. Todd joined the company as a legal intern in 2016 and most recently served as VP of Business & Legal Affairs. Alicia Karlin joins The Circuit Group as Global President of Live, uniting her firm ASK Management & Advisory with the Circuit platform through a new joint venture. BMG has promoted Celine Joshua to EVP, Global Marketing & Streaming, deepening her role across the company’s worldwide marketing and DSP platforms. Pam Schoenfeld joins BMI as SVP and Chief Legal Officer.

Warner Chappell has tapped longtime Latin American exec David Checa to lead WCM Colombia as Managing Director. BMG is strengthening its France ops with the appointment of Marion Gargula and Laurent Pernin as Co–General Managers. Saul Fitton, whose A&R career spans Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell, has been named SVP/Head of Creative, UK at PULSE Music Group. West One Music Group has appointed George Hyde as its global head of legal & business affairs, royalties & copyright. Wasserman taps Myles Schalet as a NY-based SVP and Agent. GoldState Music has tapped Rabih Aouad as Principal, Growth Equity Investments, as the firm continues to expand its international investment footprint.

WME has promoted Chris Caulk, Natalie Otto, Santi Cruz, Pascual Di Tella, Mollie Marshall, Tommy Dockree, and Belle Webb to agent roles across its Beverly Hills, Miami, Nashville, and London offices.

Broke Records has launched Broke Publishing, a new division focused on supporting artists, producers, and songwriters, with Brennen Bryant stepping in as Head of Publishing. Sam Berger has joined Suno as part of the company’s artist partnerships team. Jamie Younger has joined Big Loud Records as VP of Marketing. jump.global has promoted JJ Farrell to Managing Director, expanding his leadership across the organization’s global community, partnerships, and live events. The UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport has tapped Abbey Road Studios MD Sally Davies to serve as AI Champion for the creative industries. Curb | Word Music Publishing is leveling up its country team, with Sarah Schumacher promoted to Head of Creative, Country Publishing, Calista Miller stepping into Creative Director, Country Publishing, and Zachary Anderson joining as Creative Coordinator, Country Publishing to help shape the roster’s next moves.

Dope Jobs

Interesting jobs in music

• Director, Experiential Partnerships at FRAUDULENT in NY

• Director, People Business Partner at UMG in Santa Monica

• Director, Procurement at WMG in NY

• Sr. Product Designer at Believe in London or Liverpool

• Sr. Manager, Digital Marketing BMG in NY

↗ Find these and 245+ open roles at Jobs by ROSTR