Music news. Beyond the headlines.
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A billion streams sounds impressive. Leila Haddad is more interested in where the money went.
She's curious about the machinery behind the music business, particularly the arrangements that determine who owns a recording, how royalties are divided, and why some artists have more control over their careers than others. Record labels, publishing agreements, streaming platforms, and the economics of touring all fall within her interests.
Leila also has a fondness for music documentaries, though she's a demanding viewer. Beautiful archival footage is nice, but she wants the filmmakers to ask difficult questions. A documentary that challenges an established narrative will hold her attention longer than one that simply celebrates its subject.
She has little patience for corporate buzzwords or grand announcements that fall apart under closer inspection. Give her the actual numbers, the fine print, and enough context to make sense of both. She's perfectly capable of appreciating the glamour of the music industry while remaining skeptical of the people selling it.
Pop documentaries often involve artists who are still working, still managing an image and sometimes directly involved in the production. That access can produce revealing footage, but it can also narrow what the film is willing to question. The most interesting films find a way through that tension. **Homecoming** makes…
Sound designers, field recordists, mixers and professional sound-effects libraries have formed the Professional Sound Alliance, a new coalition pushing for licensing and compensation when professionally recorded sound is used to train commercial AI systems or appears in media without permission. Launched September 24th, the group argues that the rights debate…
U2 will release Carnaval De Luz, their first full studio album of new material in nine years, on November 13th, with a 12-song tracklist that reaches from Brian Eno and Martin Garrix to a closing Bono duet containing Dolly Parton’s final recorded vocal performance. The band formally announced Carnaval De…
A coordinated anti-piracy operation across five Latin American countries has blocked 317 websites linked to illegal music services, stream ripping and, in dozens of cases, malware distribution. Operation LUMEN was carried out September 22nd and 23rd, with authorities in Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador and the Dominican Republic working together on…
Outkast is taking Oakland rapper and producer Ovrkast to federal court over a stage name the Atlanta duo says is “nearly identical” to its own. High Schoolers LLC, the company that controls trademark rights associated with André 3000 and Big Boi, filed the lawsuit September 16th against Ovrkast, whose real…
Carianne Marshall is leaving her role as co-chair and chief operating officer of Warner Chappell Music as parent Warner Music Group continues simplifying leadership across its businesses. Marshall will transition out of her current position at the end of September, while Warner Chappell CEO and co-chair Guy Moot becomes the…
South Korea is moving toward new copyright and royalty standards for AI-assisted music just as songs made with generative tools are beginning to reach the country’s mainstream streaming charts. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced September 21st that it will convene a public forum at the National Assembly…
Taylor Swift will receive the first MTV VMA Artist Director Honors at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, giving the singer-songwriter a new award built specifically around her work behind the camera and making her the most-awarded artist in VMA history. CBS and MTV announced the honor September 21st, six…
A dispute over The Fall’s forthcoming album Post Script has put the provenance of Mark E. Smith’s unreleased recordings under scrutiny, with his fiancée and final manager Pamela Vander objecting to the project while collaborators Ed Blaney and Simon “Ding” Archer defend completing previously unused vocals after his death. Post…
Luminate will begin tracking Smart Media Albums as a distinct physical music format in the U.S. and Canada on October 2nd, bringing qualifying connected albums into Billboard’s chart ecosystem for the first time. The format will appear inside CONNECT, Luminate’s industry analytics platform, as well as its API and Data…