Warner Music Group has brought its catalog to karaoke platform Singa. Photo Credit: WMG

Warner Music Group (WMG) is getting in on the karaoke action under a new deal with Singa, which has already added “a vast collection of original master recordings” from the major label.

WMG and the self-described “first truly digital streaming service for karaoke” unveiled their pact today. Extending to Warner Music proper as well as Warner Chappell, the agreement is Helsinki-headquartered Singa’s first with a major, the parties emphasized.

Now, the nine-year-old karaoke service, which offers a paid tier for $9.99 per month, is bolstering its existing library of 120,000 “soundalike” renditions with WMG’s “extensive catalog.” Besides the latter detail and the initially mentioned “vast collection” particular, the companies didn’t elaborate on the tie-up’s precise scope.

However, a cursory glance at the karaoke platform points to an all-encompassing WMG-catalog integration; the “Originals” section currently features releases from Cardi B, Linkin Park, Dua Lipa, and a variety of others.

And the ADA parent Warner Music further relayed that Singa has separate contracts in place “with publishers and indie labels.”

Shifting to compensation, WMG rather unsurprisingly opted against diving into hard terms. But the major went ahead and applauded “Singa’s investment in rights management technology,” which purportedly “ensures that all music use is transparent to rights holders.”

“The company has partnered with leading back-office service providers to develop usage tracking and revenue reporting tools, setting a new standard for industry accountability,” WMG indicated here.

In any event, a new revenue stream is (at least in theory) a new revenue stream, and WMG SVP of strategy and business development John Rees in a statement touted the resulting “opportunities for our artists and songwriters.”

“With this partnership, we’re ushering in a new era of karaoke where music becomes a more dynamic experience for fans,” weighed in Rees.

“This collaboration not only enhances the way people engage with music, but also creates valuable opportunities for our artists and songwriters, enabling them to reach more fans and unlock new revenue streams. Together, we’re paving the way for continuous innovation in music,” the 15-year Warner Music vet concluded.

Time will tell whether Singa can parlay the deal into separate unions with Sony Music and Universal Music. Bigger picture, Robert Kyncl’s comparatively tech-friendly Warner Music – which didn’t consider joining Universal Music’s since-resolved TikTok standoff – is apparently pulling out the monetization stops against the backdrop of slowing revenue growth.

All that’s certainly worth keeping in mind amid rumored settlement discussions between the majors and Suno as well as Udio. If the AI platforms and the individual labels are actually racing to hammer out licensing terms as reported – and that isn’t necessarily the case, we previously noted – WMG might be the first to seize an agreement.

TikTok for Artists has officially launched in more than 25 countries. Photo Credit: Kelly Sikkema

TikTok for Artists, the video-sharing app’s “all-in-one music insights platform,” has officially set sail in the U.S., Brazil, Japan, and more than 20 other countries.

ByteDance-owned TikTok announced the formal rollout of Artists today, weeks after scoring a SoundCloud “Add to Music App” partnership. Available via certified Artist accounts, the newer offering is said to compile data (views, posts, engagements, etc.) down to the song level.

Additionally, one can tap Artists to monitor the performance of individual posts (including everything from likes and shares to completion rates and comments), with a collection of “daily-updated analytics dashboards” part of Artists to boot.

Perhaps most importantly, Artists further charts audience demographics, among them age, gender, and language, TikTok relayed.

In theory, the details could enable TikTok-focused acts to better tailor on-platform strategies and possibly off-platform efforts.

Running with those points, TikTok today also confirmed the worldwide launch of Pre-Release. As its name suggests, Pre-Release (which first hit TikTok’s distribution service three years ago) allows acts to promote new projects on TikTok before they officially release elsewhere; TikTokers can save previewed works directly to Apple Music or Spotify.

Still facing an uncertain stateside future, TikTok has brought the overarching Artists to 26 nations: the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

But according to the app, TikTok for Artists will begin “rolling out in other countries soon.” In a statement, global head of music business development Tracy Gardner touted Artists’ perceived value and usefulness for talent.

“We built the platform to give artists transparent access to useful, actionable data about their music and their fans, to help them better engage with the TikTok community and supercharge their careers both on and off the platform,” the former Warner Music higher-up said in part.

In the bigger picture, despite the mentioned uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s U.S. future, the app isn’t hesitating to lean into music-world initiatives. Besides TikTok for Artists’ launch, of course, that includes pulling out the promotional stops for Miley Cyrus’ new album and moving forward with another “Global Live Fest” installment.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t too long ago that TikTok found itself embroiled in an ugly licensing showdown with today’s largest label. For this and adjacent reasons, many in the industry aren’t particularly concerned about the app’s stateside fate – especially with Reels and Shorts continuing to expand aggressively.

Photo Credit: Google

Android Auto is getting a slew of new features, including a Spotify experience with a brand new app that includes support for its “Jam” feature.

Google has announced a series of car-related updates for Google I/O, including an overhaul to the Spotify experience for Android Auto. The updated app will rely on Google’s “Car App Library” for Android Auto and Android Automotive OS, with additional flexibility in how apps can be developed for this platforms.

For Spotify, this brings major changes in the form of support for Spotify Jam on Android Auto. Spotify Jam allows other Spotify users to connect to someone’s ongoing playlist without pairing to another device. Users scan a code, which enables them to contribute songs to what’s already playing through a friend’s device.

This will soon be possible through Android Auto with the use of a “Jam” button, which will appear in the corner of the Now Playing interface. The button brings up a QR code for others to scan, and the display can show who is in the current Jam session, as well as allow them to be removed.

According to Google, Spotify’s new app is coming to Android Auto “in the coming months.” Additionally, updates to YouTube Music and Amazon Music are on the way, thanks to the new flexibility in media apps on the platform.

Google is also adding support for Quick Share to cars with Google built in, enabling users to do things such as adding stops to a Google Maps route. Additionally, the platform is implementing a light mode (which has been in the works for years), as well as web browsers and more robust support for video apps. Notably, Google says video apps and gaming features will only be available when the car is in park; video apps will utilize audio-only features while the car is in motion.

Photo Credit: Justin Higuchi / CC by 2.0

A new TikTok trend is turning the concept of ‘propaganda’ on its head — and singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams finds herself squarely in its crosshairs.

The trend is known as ‘propaganda I’m not falling for’ and sees Gen Z TikTok users creating lists of things, people, or concepts they’ve labeled propaganda—or things they refuse to buy into. The lists are often set to a remix of Charli XCX’s single “I think about it all the time” featuring Bon Iver and can be mundane things like oat milk, Teslas, or even marriage.

The trend is less about the literal definition of propaganda and more about expressing skepticism or ironic detachment from mainstream tastes, cultural norms, or internet hype. The word ‘propaganda’ has thus become a Gen Z codeword for anything that is over-hyped or simply not for them. Whereas older generations would use the term ‘industry plant’ to describe an artist they feel is foisted upon them in popular culture—Gen Z have created their own label.

Much of the Gen Z cohort feels as though Gracie Abrams’ music and branding represents a certain ‘mainstream indie’ aesthetic that is widely promoted and inorganic. They’re labeling her ‘propaganda’ to describe the concept of an industry plant—a way to resist what they perceive as algorithm-driven popularity. For Gen Z, it’s a way to label things cringe while poking fun at the mainstream for enjoying the music.

Some Gen Z users have admitted that placing Gracie Abrams in their lists of ‘propaganda’ items is a way to poke fun at the trend itself. Abrams’ status as widely discussed figure in pop culture has led to her being in the crosshairs for Gen Z—though the effort isn’t necessarily a coordinated campaign of genuine dislike against the singer-songwriter. Nearly anything that the Gen Z cohort feels is over popularized can receive the label—Gracie Abrams just happens to be the current target.

Gracie Abrams herself has not directly commented on the trend, though she has defended herself against haters and addressed rumors on TikTok.

A small sampling of 7digital-powered platforms (Photo: 7digital/Songtradr)

When it’s not Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube playing your music, chances are it’s powered by someone else — and often, that someone is 7digital. While the biggest platforms dominate headlines, a vast ecosystem of music services is thriving behind the scenes, many of them built on 7digital’s infrastructure.

The following comes from Samantha Sawyer, the General Manager of Licensing and Technology Solutions at 7digital parent Songtradr, a company DMN is thrilled to be partnering with.

As the industry shifts its focus from scale to superfans, 7digital’s multi-product, cross-category, and global expertise positions it to help fuel the next phase of higher-value, higher-engagement music experiences.

With streaming growth plateauing and casual listening on autopilot, the push toward deeper fan relationships is gaining urgency. So what does Superfan 2.0 actually look like, and how can platforms get there faster?

Suddenly, the music industry is rethinking the one-size-fits-all streaming model, shifting its focus to deeper, more meaningful engagement with devoted fans. The momentum is real: Universal Music Group is already channeling hundreds of millions into superfan-first platforms and experiences. But despite the headlines, this movement is still in its early days.

So where will the next wave of superfan growth come from? It’s likely to emerge through bold experimentation, and 7digital is well-positioned to help lead the charge. As the engine behind a diverse array of music experiences across categories and markets, 7digital has the flexibility, global reach, and product depth to support the emerging needs of a superfan-driven economy.

If you’re unfamiliar with 7digital, there’s a reason for that.

The company has been powering a wide range of music platforms and experiences for years, but remains a behind-the-scenes player, and that’s by design. Now operating under parent company Songtradr, 7digital continues to expand its B2B footprint.

We’ve spent over two decades helping businesses navigate the complexities associated  with music technology infrastructure and music licensing, ensuring they can deliver incredible music experiences while staying fully compliant. Throughout these implementations, grabbing the spotlight has never been our focus.

Instead, 7digital’s role has always been clear: to provide the critical, often invisible infrastructure that powers music platforms at scale, helping them innovate, grow, and connect more deeply with their audiences.

As the engine behind many of today’s music experiences, 7digital provides fully licensed commercial music while navigating the complexities of rights management and ensuring proper compensation for rightsholders. It’s a notoriously tangled space, one that demands a backend partner with deep technical and legal expertise.

Once integrated, 7digital’s infrastructure supports a wide range of front-end experiences: from streaming and downloads to gaming integrations, background music, user-generated content, and more. It’s also built to flex — enabling platforms designed for niche communities, power users, and high-ARPU audiences alike.

The list of quietly-powered clients includes platforms like Canva and Connyct, fitness apps such as ApexRides, and wellness platforms including Grandpad, MedRhythms, and Resparke. Other platforms, like Triller and Pinterest, previously tapped 7digital’s backend to get their music offerings going.

Beyond that, 7digital also powers background music services for global retail and hospitality brands such as Moodmedia, Nightlife, Audalize, Qsic, and services offering in-flight entertainment to global airlines.

At the heart of these relationships is a robust network of content licensing partnerships that spans major labels, independent music rights holders (including Merlin members), and music publishing licensors.

With a catalog of around 150 million tracks, 7digital ingests an impressive 750,000 tracks per week, with three new independent suppliers joining monthly. This expansive catalog is a key asset in attracting clients who need access to comprehensive independent collections or those focused on specific genre niches.

As the industry continues its shift towards superfan-driven models, 7digital’s catalog depth could play a pivotal role in supporting the experimentation and innovation required to build this new landscape. Universal Music Group, for example, is already pouring significant resources into artist web pages designed to foster direct fan engagement and monetization. Meanwhile, Warner Music Group is experimenting with a Weverse-style fan platform, with Ed Sheeran at the helm.

7digital has already begun to support some fan-focused initiatives with its client Stationhead, a service which allows for collective licensing and engagement around album launches and artist-hosted, artist-led livestreams, with 7digital serving chart eligible download sales of the featured artist recordings.

And what about social media platforms?

As the industry evolves, many are now viewing platforms like TikTok through a different lens; not as opportunities to engage superfans, but as lower-ARPU challenges, fraught with licensing hurdles. This shift has led to a noticeable trend: a growing demand for compliant music solutions in user-generated content (UGC) platforms and emerging digital spaces.

The risks are real. The number of companies facing lawsuits for unlicensed social media content is on the rise, with major brands like Chili’s, Crumbl, Johnson & Johnson, and even the University of Southern California (USC) embroiled in legal battles over alleged licensing violations. Navigating this complex landscape requires expertise, and for the unprepared, the consequences can be severe, and they’re only escalating.

As platforms continue to integrate music into their offerings, the complexities of licensing and rights management have escalated significantly. This is where 7digital’s expertise in legal compliance and infrastructure shines.

Many companies underestimate the intricacies of music licensing and the legal risks associated with using music without proper clearance. 7digital’s solutions provide platforms with a way to navigate those challenges by offering fully licensed music catalogs and handling the often-overlooked reporting obligations that ensure compliance with copyright laws.

While these solutions are essential for the general music ecosystem, they’re especially critical for platforms that aren’t necessarily focused on superfan engagement. For platforms experimenting with niche audiences and higher-ARPU opportunities, 7digital’s flexible infrastructure and expertise in music licensing create a foundation for rapid experimentation and innovation.

That said, Superfan 2.0 presents its own set of complexities. While 7digital doesn’t hold the rights to every artist drawing a cult following, its capabilities can still support platforms built around superfans, particularly those already focused on fan-first models.

Take Bandcamp, for instance. Now part of the broader Songtradr ecosystem, it stands as a compelling example of where 7digital’s licensing and technology could amplify an already superfan-centric approach.

As the industry shifts and grows, the need for seamless, compliant solutions will only intensify. The way companies integrate music is evolving rapidly, and the demand for scalable, compliant solutions to power the next generation of music-driven platforms and superfan engagement has never been greater.

In the evolving landscape of music engagement, 7digital is quietly leading the charge; supporting the infrastructure that enables more meaningful, innovative, and legally sound music experiences.

Photo Credit: Spotify

After rule changes allowed Spotify to link to external payment options in its iOS app, the digital streaming provider (DSP) reports a boost in premium subscriptions on the platform.

Spotify says its internal data shows that the recent update supporting web payments has resulted in “a significant increase in iOS users upgrading to a Premium subscription.” This development follows the U.S. District Court in Northern California ruling in favor of Epic Games—forcing Apple to allow apps like Fortnite and Spotify to link to external payment methods.

iOS developers can now inform customers of alternative payment methods like web billing, as well as any discounts for paying that way. Spotify was one of the first companies to update its app to take advantage of the new policy. The updated version of the app explains what the subscriptions cost, why the in-app purchase for iOS is more expensive, and how to get the cheaper price by paying with a web subscription. The update also allows them to purchase audiobooks on the Spotify app directly instead of needing to do so on the desktop app or web browser.

“The 2025 order has created substantial benefits for developers and—more importantly—consumers,” Spotify states in a new filing. “Spotify’s internal data shows that its iOS app updates have already resulted in a significant increase in iOS users upgrading to a Premium subscription. Apple’s compliance has also enabled new product innovations that would not have been possible without the injunction.”

Spotify’s revised Premium Destination Page in the iOS app now tells free users how to upgrade to a paid subscription. It offers information about the prices and a link to the checkout page for users to pay with a credit card or PayPal. While Spotify’s conversion rates on Android have remained relatively constant, those for iOS users have upticked substantially.

“This strongly suggests that the increase is due to Apple finally complying with the injunction thanks to the 2025 order,” Spotify writes in the filing. It adds that audiobook purchases from the iOS app are also ticking upwards, thanks to the new payment options. Spotify has declined to share actual numbers, while Apple filed an emergency motion to revert to its old policy while appealing. The court decided not to grant that motion—so the external payment options for Spotify and Fortnite are here to stay while this case continues to play out in court.

Photo Credit: SoundCloud

SoundCloud and TikTok have announced a new partnership that will add SoundCloud to TikTok’s new music discovery feature, ‘Add to Music App.’

The ‘Add to Music App’ feature gives music fans the ability to save the songs they discover on TikTok to their preferred music streaming service. Since its global roll out in 2024, the feature has generated over a billion track saves on supported music streaming services, per TikTok’s data.

The new integration begins rolling out today, making it simple to save TikTok tracks to a playlist on SoundCloud. The launch coincides with the debut of ‘Move Your Music,’ a new SoundCloud feature that makes it easy to transfer music libraries including liked songs and playlists.

That feature allows SoundCloud users to import their favorites from Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, Deezer, and Amazon Music. Now with ‘Add to Music App’ on TikTok, music discovery centered around social media can also be added to SoundCloud.

The ‘Add to Music App’ feature was designed for music fans to capture the songs they love in the moment of discovery. From the latest TikTok trend to the ultimate in personal music discovery, all music can be saved in one step.

“SoundCloud has always been the go-to platform for discovering what’s next in music, from emerging artists to breakout genres,” says Emmy Lovell, SoundCloud’s Global Head of Music. “Partnering with TikTok makes it easier than ever for fans to save the songs they love and stay connected with the artists behind them. This integration helps turn casual listeners into lifelong superfans while strengthening our commitment to fueling the next generation of music culture.”

‘Add to Music App’ appears as a button that says ‘Add Song’ next to a track name at the bottom of any TikTok video on the ‘For You’ feed. It invites users to save the track to the digital streaming provider (DSP) of their choice. The first time a user presses the button, they can choose to save it to SoundCloud or other supported services. Users can choose to switch their preferred music streaming service at any times in the Settings of TikTok.

U2 bassist Adam Clayton, who has an interest in the just-sold ROXi music video service. Photo Credit: U2start

Self-described “music video streaming service” ROXi has officially sold in a “management buyout,” with multiple broadcasters and U2 bassist Adam Clayton among its stakeholders

Reps for London-based ROXi reached out with word of the deal, executed via a new company called FastStream Interactive. All told, ROXi/FastStream says it’s drawn support from north of 100 “major” backers thus far.

Those parties include but certainly aren’t limited to Simon Cowell, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Sheryl Crow, and Alesha Dixon, who all boarded the ROXi train a while ago. At the time, the business was still zeroing in chiefly on providing access to music videos and especially karaoke via smart TVs.

Since then, ROXi, currently counting broadcasters Sinclair (an existing partner) and Gray Media as stakeholders, has adjusted its focus to prioritize “interactive TV channels.”

And it’s these channels that FastStream Interactive head Rob Lewis emphasized when addressing the buyout of ROXi, which was at one point considering an IPO.

“The new technology, FastStream, will revolutionise Broadcast TV,” indicated Lewis. “For the first time in history, consumers tuning into a normal TV channel will find they automatically start at the beginning of the program, and that they are able to skip, pause or search, even though they are watching normal Broadcast TV.”

Running with the idea, FastStream took the opportunity to confirm its forthcoming release of “America’s first Interactive TV Music channel,” referring to ROXi. This free offering is said to be teed up to debut via “new digital TV standard” NextGen TV – which Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley has been touting for some time – with no app or registration required.

NextGen, for its part, describes itself as “the biggest leap forward in TV in years” and claims to combine “the benefits of broadcast with broadband TV viewing.”

With an antenna required for access, NextGen before 2028 will be supported by 75% of U.S. TVs sold, FastStream estimated.

“FastStream Interactive will empower Sinclair to deliver a range of cutting edge, fully interactive TV channels,” summed up Sinclair VP and GM of technology business development Skip Flenniken. “Our viewers across the U.S. will be able to search, skip, and engage with content in a seamless, personalised experience.”

Besides the initially mentioned U2 member as well as Gray and Sinclair, other ROXi/FastStream stakeholders include Terra Firma Capital Management founder Guy Hands, businessman Jim Mellon, and longtime Rothschild partner Warner Mandel.

Photo Credit: Solen Feyissa

The digital app landscape is forever shifting—TikTok has been dethroned by ChatGPT as the most downloaded app worldwide. ChatGPT was downloaded 52 million times in April 2025 across both Google Play and iOS.

This milestone marks a dramatic change in app dominance, especially among the younger Gen Z cohort—who often drive trends in both music and technology. TikTok has held the crown of most downloaded app for several years now. The short-form video format has fueled music trends, launched careers, and continues to shape global listening habits. But ChatGPT recently outpaced TikTok’s 39 million downloads last month to claim the most downloaded app title.

OpenAI rolled out several major updates in March, including a significant upgrade to image generation and improvements to AI voice features. The app’s flexibility and creative potential has resonated with Gen Z, who prioritize tools that enable rapid content creation and personalized interaction. That’s one reason TikTok sister app CapCut gained such popularity—it makes editing videos for the platform much easier.

Photo Credit: Backlinko

ChatGPT’s conversational interface, image tools, and generation features align with Gen Z’s demand for instant, interactive experiences. The app saw a 12% increase in downloads from March to April—and a whopping 38% jump since January 2025. This growth reflects the broader shift in how young creators are engaging with technology. While TikTok’s influence remains strong, it’s no longer the top dog when it comes to downloads.

Both TikTok and Instagram are neck-and-neck, reflecting the latter’s efforts to woo younger audiences with short-form content. Instagram enhanced its ‘Explore’ page to more accurately feel like TikTok’s ‘For You’ page. It has also included several interactive features for Reels, including polls, questions, and group chat capabilities. While both TikTok and Instagram vie for attention from Gen Z—ChatGPT is dominating downloads with several new updates intended to make AI-guided content creation even easier for the younger generation.

Photo Credit: Amazon Music

Amazon Music announces the beta of its new AI-powered search, designed to help fans learn more about their music.

Select Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers in the US can take a sneak peek at Amazon’s new AI-powered search. The idea is to enhance music discovery and help fans learn more about their favorite artists.

To use this beta feature, users can tap the “Find” button at the bottom of the screen and enter an artist’s name in the search bar. By selecting the “Explore” tab at the top left, users can discover information about the artist. That info includes collaborations, similar artists, and highlights from their discography.

For example, a search for Jelly Roll can highlight not only his solo work but his collaborations.  Collabs like “Save Me” with Lainey Wilson, or “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” with T-Pain will appear—notably an Amazon Music Original.

Users can also create AI-generated playlists. Last year, Amazon Music launched Maestro, its answer to Spotify’s AI DJ. That move came as part of continuing efforts to compete with the streaming giant. By incorporating Maestro into the new Explore feature, Amazon is hoping to encourage more users to try its AI playlisting.

“This new feature is about transforming each search into a journey of musical discovery, and we’re thrilled to start introducing it to customers,” said Ryan Redington, General Manager at Amazon Music.

“By leveraging AI to enhance search and discovery features, we’re making it easier for fans to dive deeper into the worlds of their favorite artists and find new ones they’ll love. This beta builds on our previous AI innovations and represents our ongoing commitment to connecting artists and fans in meaningful ways. We can’t wait to see how fans will use it to enhance how they’re enjoying music on our service.”

Notably, Explore is rolling out today for select US subscribers in the iOS app. Currently, the beta feature is limited to 10,000 artists, including Bad Bunny, Blackpink, and Jelly Roll.

Photo Credit: Big Loud

Morgan Wallen’s latest album I’m the Problem has set new records on Spotify—just two years after the country singer was shadow banned from editorial playlists.

The 2021 racial slur incident led to Spotify and several country music awards bowing out of platforming the singer. The industry fallout was pretty universal, with radio stations stopping spins of his tracks, his label put him on ice, and Spotify refused to feature his songs on their country editorial playlists. Now in 2025, Wallen is setting new records.

Spotify began reintegrating and even promoting Morgan Wallen’s music in 2023. His album One Thing at a Time dominated the charts that year and now he’s back with his fourth studio album I’m the Problem. That album has shattered records on Spotify, becoming the most-streamed country album of 2025 in just 24 hours. Spotify officially recognized the achievement, declaring that Wallen made country history yet again.

I’m the Problem features 37 tracks, cut down from 50, Wallen reveals. “There were three styles on the last album that I had in my head, and I went with that same approach with this album,” Wallen says. “We had straight up country songs, which I always do, and then we had more of an alternative-indie approach on a few of them. Those songs end up being a little bit countrified, just because that’s who we are and that’s how we do them.”

“And then the more cross-genre approach might end up on a multi-genre ratio station, just because of all the influences that I’ve had throughout my life, listening to every single type of music. I think I’ve stuck to that approach with I’m the Problem, getting an anchor song for each style and once we have those anchor songs dialed in, we fill up those buckets.”

“We recorded around 50 songs for this album and ended up cutting 13,” Wallen reveals. “I feel like we accomplished what I had in mind, and a huge shout out to my close collaborators on this too. They came in ready and fired up every single day, and they inspire me as much as anything else.”

I’m the Problem features 37 tracks including collaborations with notable artists including Tate McRae, Eric Church, HARDY, and Post Malone.

Photo Credit: Connie Francis for ABC Television, 1961

Connie Francis reacts to her 1962 song “Pretty Little Baby” becoming a viral hit on TikTok, 63 years after she recorded it.

Connie Francis, 87, was surprised to learn her 1962 song “Pretty Little Baby” is having a massive resurgence, going viral on TikTok—even if she had to ask what exactly that meant.

Sixty-three years after she recorded the track, it’s become a huge hit on TikTok, where even celebrities like Kylie Jenner have recorded lip-sync videos. Overall, “Pretty Little Baby” has been used in nearly 15 million TikToks this year, and has been streamed over 20 million times on Spotify.

“My thanks to TikTok and its members for the wonderful, and oh so unexpected, reception given to my 1961 recording ‘Pretty Little Baby,’” said Francis in a statement posted to her Facebook page. “The first I learned of it was when Ron [Roberts] called to advise me that I had a ‘viral hit.’ Clearly out of touch with present day music statistic terminology, my initial response was to ask: ‘What’s that?’ Thank you everyone!”

Francis was only 23 when the song came out as a B-side to her single, “I’m Gonna Be Warm This Winter.” The track was featured on her 1962 album, Connie Francis Sings Second Hand Love & Other Hits, but the record failed to make the Top 100 on the Billboard Top LPs chart. Nonetheless, Francis enjoyed a highly successful career in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Her hit “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool” made her the first woman to top the Billboard Hot 100.

Now, with such renewed interest in the track, “Pretty Little Baby” has been streamed more than 20 million times on Spotify, and it currently sits at No. 67 on the streaming platform’s Global Top 100. The song has also topped TikTok’s Viral 50 and Shazam’s new Viral Charts, and hit No. 2 on Spotify’s Global Daily Viral Songs chart. Over 600,000 daily TikTok creations use the track, and a new version of the song is in the works in six different languages.

Connie Francis also features as a character in the new Broadway musical, Just In Time, based on the life of Bobby Darin. Francis had a brief relationship with Darin before he went on to marry Sandra Dee. Francis is played by Gracie Lawrence, while Darin is played by Jonathan Groff.

Photo Credit: Insomniac

Insomniac has launched a new streaming app offering nonstop electronic music, without ads or subscription requirements. 

The Insomniac Radio app delivers curated music streaming 24/7 across four channels. Insomniac has previously released exclusive festival sets on platforms like Apple Music but is now building its own dedicated streaming space.

The app is free to use and built around genre-specific channels: ONE, ANALOG, IMPACT, and LUCID. Each channel is designed to reflect different corners of dance music. From the bass-heavy wubs and house heads to the more melodic world of trance, the platform is structured to mirror the same audience groups that define its festivals.

Are other event organizers even thinking about how to extend their communities in this way?

It raises questions about why more event producers with strong communities have not taken this route, or an avenue similar to a dedicated streaming app. Many rely a little too heavily on social media content, YouTube livestreams, or the occasional playlist. With how deeply some of these brands have embedded themselves into fan communities, it’s surprising more haven’t explored dedicated streaming as a long-term extension of their ecosystem.

Beyond the always-on channels, listeners can tune in to over 100 artist-hosted shows, including 40 exclusive series. The lineup of hosts includes artists, creators, event headliners, industry professionals, and curators, contributing a range of perspectives to the platform. Names range from established headliners like John Summit, Martin Garrix, Alison Wonderland, Afrojack, Hardwell and more.

During major Insomniac events, the app will also function as a live broadcast hub. Insomniac Radio will stream exclusive audio from select stages at EDC Las Vegas 2025, including stereoBLOOM, wasteLAND, and quantumVALLEY. These stages will not be part of the video livestream, making the app the only way to hear these sets remotely.

EDC Week club performances from artists including Chris Lorenzo, Biscits, and Mochakk are also being incorporated into the stream, expanding the app’s scope beyond large-scale festivals to include smaller venue events.

For participating artists, the platform offers an additional distribution channel outside of traditional DSPs and social media.

Unlike platforms driven by algorithms, the special curation of Insomniac Radio allows artists to present their work within a branded and genre-specific context tied to live event communities. This format may be particularly useful for artists looking to engage with niche or regional audiences tied to Insomniac’s festival network. It also provides a way to maintain visibility between tour cycles, potentially supporting fan retention and discovery in a more controlled environment.

With no paid tier or sponsored interruptions, it’s a different model than what we’ve seen from traditional DSPs, and an unique step for a festival company.

Insomniac has also been expanding its global footprint, with the recent debut of EDC Medellín and other international editions. It’s unclear whether the app will eventually become a central digital layer connecting these events in the Insomniac universe, though this feels like the start of something new. 

Which way, USA? Latest DMN Pro data shows a problematic slide in stateside Spotify subscribers (Photo: GDJ)

DMN Pro first reported serious subscriber slowdowns at Amazon Music in 2024. Now, it’s Spotify’s turn: according to leaked figures, the mega-DSP shed stateside subscribers in early 2025. In response, Spotify told DMN that its paying subscribers are growing ‘in all regions,’ but declined to offer further details.

Spotify came out swinging in its latest quarterly financial call, thanks to a 12% year-over-year global premium subscriber bump. But how many of those subscribers are coming from outside of ARPU-rich regions like North America and Western Europe?

Yes, this is the nagging ‘subscriber plateau’ dogging the music industry, though ‘decline’ may be the new ‘flat’ — at least in markets like the United States.

Just last week, DMN Pro revealed a noticeable decline of roughly 5% in US-based Spotify subscribers during the first two months of 2025, citing leaked data from sources at a major music conglomerate.

Admittedly, that doesn’t amount to a full quarter, and month-to-month bumps aren’t unusual. But perhaps there’s a reason why Spotify has specifically decided against increasing prices in the US — at least according to the Financial Times. That follows a slip by Believe pointing to a pullback by Spotify and other DSPs on an aggressive price increase schedule.

All of which begs the question: is the industry finally crossing the consumer price sensitivity point, particularly in the US?

Adding a bit more smoke to this fire, Spotify declined to break down US — or even North American — stats in a discussion with Digital Music News.

Calling the data ‘incorrect,’ Spotify Global Head of Communications Chris Macowski pointed DMN to ‘Y/Y and Q/Q growth across all regions’ in Q1, while pointing to year-over-year data in Spotify’s investor presentation deck. Hoping to fill in the blanks, we asked specifically about US subscriber stats in 2025 — before getting ghosted.

Perhaps most concerning: the early-2025 declines in the US are happening in the core number of paid accounts, which strips out multiple users (for example, six subscribers in a group Family account). That raises another inconvenient question: how many people are actually logging into these group accounts? Our best estimates still show a decline, with a clear drop in the actual number of paid US-based accounts.

The United States remains the largest music industry market, according to the IFPI, and one of the most lucrative on the ARPU scale. Meanwhile, more Q1 data is coming — we’ll keep you posted.

Separately, Spotify’s higher-priced ‘super-premium’ (aka ‘Music Pro’ or ‘Superfan’) tier remains elusive, with CEO Daniel Ek noticeably mum on the topic.

Half a world away, Tencent Music is going gangbusters with super-premium offerings, though Spotify looks stuck at the starting blocks after years of teasing their upgraded tier(s). During the Q1 call, Ek whipped up an admirable word salad on the topic, with once-promising add-ons like higher-fidelity audio and exclusive tickets suddenly absent from the discussion.

“But for the near term, the way to think about it for Spotify is, we’re not dependent on that for growth, but we want to make it happen. … [F]or the superfan [subscription tier], we do need the partners to come to the table and be part of this trip,” Ek said without offering any concrete plans or releases ahead.

Elsewhere on the superfan front, DMN is hearing reports of continued fragmentation, with mega-players like Live Nation disinterested in gifting jewels like pre-release concert tickets — at least without a serious bag of cash consideration.

Separately, UMG is marching forward with its own superfan-focused artist pages, as are notable upstarts like Dave Cool-helmed MySeat Media, which just facilitated an impressive G Herbo superfan app loaded with exclusive cuts.

Other artists are likely to roll their own — superfan apps, that is — but how much will that detract from streaming giants like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music, which now hog 99% of the streaming music subscriber marketshare in some territories?

And while we’re on the topic of non-standard, premium streaming apps: which mega-festival is cooking up a huge genre-focused streaming app, loaded with live performance exclusives for its heavy-spending attendees?  This one’s gonna be big and juicily high-ARPU — stay tuned!

Just how much distribution can be done on a phone? According to Too Lost, the answer is pretty much everything.

For many artists and labels, the complex tasks of music distribution are frequently handled on desktop. That’s a belief held by some of the largest distribution platforms, though Too Lost is now giving its artists complete mobile capabilities via a just-released app. The result is a completely portable distribution solution built for on-the-go artists, including those on tour.

According to the upstart distro, the decision to expand the platform into mobile was sparked by repeated client requests. Artists simply wanted multi-platform flexibility, so now it exists in their pockets.

In most cases, artists will toggle between both mobile and desktop environments, and Too Lost is smartly giving its artist clientele complete flexibility to choose their distribution environment. For Too Lost, a company DMN is thrilled to be partnering with, the key is to give artists a solid distribution solution from anywhere – at any time.

That means that the mobile app carries virtually all of the functions and features of Too Lost’s core distribution platform.

According to the company, uploading new music remains a swift process, achievable in seconds even while on-the-go. That means just-recorded music, including live cuts, jams, and even quick outtakes can be quick-released to fans from a phone. Alternatively, more conventional distribution work involving previously-recorded material and catalog management can also be handled on the small screen.

The app is also stuffed with real-time stats, including those tied to stream listening and audience demographics. For artists that love actionable data, that translates into quick engagement information and a powerful feedback loop.

Too Lost’s app also includes the ability to monitor earnings and transfer funds.

For those touring and building the early stages of their careers, fast withdrawals can make a big difference. Accordingly, Too Lost’s app offers fast and flexible payouts, allowing artists to withdraw their money whenever needed.

More broadly, mobile-based creativity tools are also blossoming. Just recently, DMN profiled the breakout success of GELO, whose ‘Tweakers’ started on Voloco, a ‘mobile recording studio’ that served up the featured beat. For Too Lost, the next step was simply to expand the possibilities to include the broader aspects of distribution.

According to Too Lost, this app is packed but manageable, and geared towards a client base that wants more functionality and flexibility than ever.

Too Lost’s just-released app is available on both iOS (Apple) and Google Play (Android) platforms.

Photo Credit: Apple Music

Apple Music teams up with Universal Music Group to introduce Sound Therapy, an audio wellness collection to help listeners relax, focus, or sleep.

Available exclusively on Apple Music, Sound Therapy is designed to blend songs subscribers already know and love with special sound waves made to enhance users’ daily routines, while retaining the artist’s original vision. Backed by research and powered by Universal Music Group’s (UMG) proprietary audio tech, Sound Therapy uses sound waves, psychoacoustics, and cognitive science to help listeners relax or focus the mind.

“For years, elevating music’s role in health and wellbeing has been a strategic priority for UMG, linked to a potentially significant commercial opportunity, as well as something that our Chairman and CEO, Sir Lucian, and the entire management team, are passionate about,” said Michael Nash, UMG’s EVP & Chief Digital Officer.

“Given Apple’s leadership at the intersection of health and technology, the launch of Sound Therapy represents an important validation of our innovative, science-led Sollos initiative. We look forward to working closely with the team at Apple to expand the ways that music can be harnessed to improve the wellness benefits for its users.”

The collection was crafted by a team of producers, scientists, and audio engineers at Sollos, a music-wellness venture incubated within UMG. Sound Therapy features extended, instrumental, and reimagined versions of popular tracks from artists such as Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, Kacey Musgraves, Ludovico Einaudi, Aurora, Jhené Aiko, Chelsea Cutler, and Jeremy Zucker.

Sound Therapy features three categories—focus, relax, and sleep. Songs have been enhanced with auditory beats or colored noise to help encourage specific brain responses. Gamma waves and white noise—a whoosh-like combination of every sound frequency—may help with focusing; theta waves could aid in relaxation; and delta waves and pink noise—a gentler, deeper variation akin to rain or wind—might assist in a better sleep.

Sound Therapy arrives on the heels of the new Apple Music Chill radio station, created to serve as a sanctuary of sound listeners can turn to throughout their day to seek refuge. The station’s programming is a continuous flow of chill highlights across genres, interspersed with mindful moments meant to remind listeners to make the time to find center and calm.

“Every day, people around the world make Apple Music part of their daily routine, and we’ve seen incredible engagement around our personalized mood playlists and the new Apple Music Chill radio station,” said Rachel Newman, Apple Music’s co-head. “Now, with Sound Therapy, we’re proud to work alongside UMG and Sollos to bring a new listening experience to Apple Music—one that’s grounded in artistry, shaped by innovation, and designed to support wellness.”

As part of its commitment to enabling users to lead healthier, more active lives through offerings like Apple Watch, HealthKit, and Apple Fitness+, Apple will work closely with Sollos and UMG to further establish scientific evidence supporting music and audio for improved wellbeing. Sound Therapy is designed to support a person’s overall wellbeing and is not intended to treat any medical condition.

Photo Credit: iHeartMedia

A recent class action lawsuit filed in New York’s Southern District Court has put iHeartMedia under scrutiny after a cyberattack in December 2024. The data breach allowed hackers to exfiltrate sensitive information that iHeartMedia did not keep secure including social security numbers, financial account details, and health insurance data.

The complaint filed on behalf of Tennessee resident Cheryl Shields and affected individuals, revolves around the significant delay in notifying those who were impacted by the data breach in December. iHeartMedia did not complete its investigation into the data breach until April 11, 2025 and then only began the notification process on April 30—over four months after the breach occurred.

“As a result of this delayed response, the plaintiff had no idea for four months that their private information had been compromised,” the lawsuit reads. “The risk [from this data breach] will remain for their respective lifetimes.”

Shield’s legal team argues that iHeartMedia’s security protocols were insufficient for a company of its scale and responsibility. “Had iHeart properly monitored its networks, it would have discovered the breach sooner,” the lawsuit asserts. Her lawyers argue that the stolen data represents a “treasure trove for data thieves.”

iHeartMedia says it quickly activated response protocols once the data breach was discovered. Since the investigation, the company says it has “enhanced its current security protocols to help avert similar occurrences in the future.” As a result of the data breach, iHeartMedia has offered all impacted customers complimentary credit monitoring service.

Data breaches can often lead to class action litigation like this—take the Equifax case in 2017. That class action lawsuit resulted in a $425 million settlement after the personal information of more than 150 million Americans was exposed.

The iHeartMedia data breach was much smaller—but the full national scope has not yet been disclosed. Attackers accessed and obtained files stored at several of the company’s local radio stations over the course of a three-day period (December 24-27), exploiting the holidays and reduced staffing during this time period.

Photo Credit: James Yarema

Apple has requested the US District Court in Northern California pause enforcement of the new App Store rules after its recent loss to Epic Games.

Apple has asked for a stay on the court’s injunction, in an emergency motion filed on Wednesday. That injunction requires the company to allow developers to link to alternative payments methods in their apps. The court’s decision and Apple’s subsequent request are the latest in an ongoing legal battle between the tech giant and Epic Games, stemming from the Fortnite developer challenging the App Store business model alongside Spotify.

Notably, the court sided with Apple on a number of issues, but it ruled that the company’s “anti-steering provisions” violate California’s Unfair Competition Law. Those provisions prevent developers from directing users to alternate, cheaper methods of payment outside the App Store.

Apple said it would comply with injunction, but would still appeal the decision; that appeal was filed earlier in the week. Should the court agree to stay the injunction, Apple would be permitted to maintain the current App Store policy until the court rules on the company’s appeal. Notably, both Epic Games and Spotify have prepped app updates to take advantage of this court ruling.

The company is specifically looking to delay two key mandates: a ban on charging commissions for purchases made through links to external payment methods, and a ban on setting conditions for the style, language, or placement of those links within apps. Ideally for Apple, third-party payment links would be well-hidden over its App Store payments method.

Apple argues these provisions are “punitive,” opening a new legal can of worms and would cause “irreparable” damage by costing the company “hundreds of millions to billions” of dollars annually. Further, Apple claims the district court did not follow due process, improperly engaging in price-setting, in violation of both California law and the US Constitution.

Apple believes it will succeed on appeal and that a stay is necessary to prevent any damage to its business model.

Meanwhile, Epic Games called the motion to stay “a last ditch effort to block competition and extract massive junk fees at the expense of consumers and developers.” The gaming company adds it is “full speed ahead” to bring Fortnite to iPhones and iPads in the US this week.

Other companies to have already adapted their apps to take advantage of the ability to link to out-of-app payment methods since the court’s ruling include Kindle, Patreon, and Spotify.

Warner Music has officially unveiled WMG Pulse, which is said to provide songwriters and artists with real-time consumption stats, royalty data, and more. Photo Credit: Warner Music

Warner Music Group (WMG) is officially testing an app called WMG Pulse, which is said to provide artists and songwriters with real-time consumption data from streaming and social platforms.

The major label disclosed its WMG Pulse beta today, pointing to north of 100 current users and plans for a wider rollout later in 2025. Importantly, the app is distinct from Warner Music’s long-anticipated superfan offering, which looks to be slowly but surely getting off the ground.

(Nor should Pulse be confused with the existing WMG AMP, which is still available for download and, per its Play Store description, “is designed to help Warner Music Group’s artists and managers make meaningful connections from performance data.”)

Pulse, on the other hand, is said to boast a consolidated breakdown of works’ consumption metrics and a corresponding real-time income snapshot. The latter encompasses not just streaming royalties, but earnings particulars for physical, sync, and more, according to Warner Music.

Though the major’s formal release doesn’t dive into specifics here, a brief promo clip appears to suggest that Pulse includes across-the-board DSP data, consumption numbers for individual songs, follower counts, and a standalone “Money” page dedicated to the aforementioned royalties.

(With a “Current balance snapshot” and a side-by-side view of both “Earnings” and “Recoupable costs,” this Money section may well prevent recoupment-related legal confrontations down the line.)

Meanwhile, the major – which emphasized that its “in-house tech experts,” not an external developer, created Pulse – also touched on plans to add support for revenue forecasting, release planning, and collaboration options moving forward.

It’s unclear when these features will go live, and the Africori parent didn’t identify a hard label-wide launch date for Pulse. However, feedback from the above-highlighted artist and songwriter testers “will help fine-tune the app” in the coming months, Warner Music indicated.

“With WMG Pulse,” added WMG technology president Ariel Bardin, “we’re providing greater transparency across the music ecosystem, including data from every major streaming and social media platform.

“The app offers a seamless, easy to use experience, giving deeper insights into careers and fan bases, with even more sophisticated updates still to come. It’s about empowering artists and songwriters with clarity, and helping them make smarter, data-driven decisions with their teams,” concluded Bardin, whose company added Activision Blizzard vet Armin Zerza as CFO on Monday.

Photo Credit: Nathana Rebouças

TikTok is making a concerted effort to calm advertisers’ nerves as the platform faces its third extension of the looming U.S. ban. If the platform is ultimately banned in the United States—nearly $12 billion in ad revenue is at risk.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the platform, TikTok sales team members have been proactively reaching out to agencies and brands. The sales team projects unwavering confidence that the app will remain operational in the U.S. and the team seeks greater investment from advertisers in the platform.

The latest 75-day ban extension was announced by President Trump in early May and follows previous extensions and ongoing negotiations between ByteDance and U.S. officials. The repeated postponements of the ban have left many advertisers in limbo, with some hedging their bets and shifting ad budget dollars to more stable platforms like Instagram and YouTube. A recent report suggests eight of the top ten advertiser categories reduced their spending in Q1 2025 on TikTok compared to the previous years. U.S. ad rates have seen double digit declines amid the uncertainty.

A TikTok sales presentation to advertisers in New York City this week aimed to project confidence despite those declining numbers. “If there’s one thing I want you to take away, it is that we are absolutely confident in our platform and confident in the future of this platform, so we’re going to continue to invest in it,” Khartoon Weiss, Vice President of Global Business Solutions at TikTok said. “Thank you for sticking with us, because our advertising business will not change.”

TikTok’s ad revenue business in the United States is expected to grow 20.3% in 2025 to reach $14.8 billion, according to Emarketer. Both Meta and Google are watching closely what happens with TikTok, since those advertising dollars will be free to flow into other platforms. Both companies have been improving their short-form video products to match or exceed TikTok—especially amid the platform’s uncertainty in the United States.

Photo Credit: Ella Don

YouTube appears to be testing a new two-person premium tier in select regions, suggesting a ‘Spotify Duo’ style subscription tier is on the way. Here’s the latest.

The test appears to be under way in India, France, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, allowing users to subscribe to a new two-person plan. MoneyControl first spotted the new tier and comes as Google is attempting to diversify its income streams beyond advertising. That’s because the U.S. DOJ is seeking to compel Google to divest its ad exchange and publisher ad server operations—core platforms for buying and selling digital ads on sites like YouTube.

A trial is scheduled for September 2025 to determine the specific remedies of Google’s digital advertising monopoly. Those remedies include possible divestitures and requirements for Google to share real-time advertising data with competitors. This new duo premium subscription would diversify its revenue streams by generating more income from direct consumer payments rather than relying so heavily on ad revenue ($77.3B in Q1 2025).

The two-person YouTube Premium subscription tier is being offered in India for Rs 219 ($2.60 USD), while a standard YouTube Premium subscription costs Rs 149 ($1.75 USD). Both members must be at least 13 years of age, have a Google account, and be part of the same Google family group. (The Google family group requirement could put a damper on more casual duo sharing, like between roommates.)

“We’re experimenting with new ways to provide greater flexibility and value to our YouTube Premium subscribers, including offering a two-person Premium plan option, allowing two people to share a subscription at a reduced cost,” a YouTube spokesperson confirmed to MoneyControl when asked about the new tier. Right now it is unclear if this new subscription tier will ever make its way to the United States, but if so, it would rival the Spotify Duo offering.

Photo Credit: Laurenz Heymann

Apple is facing renewed legal scrutiny after the law firm Hagens Berman filed a new class-action lawsuit over Apple’s violations of a federal injunction to reform the App Store. The new class action follows a recent ruling in which a judge found Apple in contempt of a 2021 anti-trust order that stems from the Epic Games case.

The 2021 injunction mandated that Apple must allow app developers to direct users to external websites for in-app purchases and subscriptions. That would allow developers to bypass Apple’s typical 15-30% commission fee. The court found that Apple implemented a series of measures intended to circumvent the order—effectively blocking developers from accessing alternative payment methods. They also imposed a 27% fee on payments outside the App Store.

“The court ultimately held that Apple willfully violated the injunction to protect its revenues, and then ‘reverse engineered’ justifications to proffer to the court, often with ‘lies on the witness stand,” the class action lawsuit reads. “The evidence showed that while one senior Apple executive ‘advocated that Apple comply with the injunction,’ Mr. Cook ignored this advice and allowed others in his finance team to convince him otherwise. Cook chose poorly,” the lawsuit continues.

Hagens Berman alleges that Apple’s actions deprived developers of billions of potential revenue. The lawsuit claims Apple engaged in internal analyses to devise the best ways to sidestep the injunction. Only 34 out of 136,000 developers were able to implement third-party payment options—representing only 0.025% of eligible apps. That’s over the course of a 15-month injunction where app developers were supposed to be able to communicate with their user base about outside payments.

“Apple’s lip service concealed its real intentions from the start: to use every trick in the book to subvert the court’s order, in flagrant violation of the law,” Berman said. “This was not a victimless crime.”

The new class-action, led by Pure Sweat Basketball Inc. as the named plaintiff, seeks to recover lost revenues for potentially more than 100,00 developers who were forced to pay Apple commissions they should have been able to avoid. If successful, the lawsuit could result in substantial compensation for impacted developers. Hagens Berman previously obtained a $100 million settlement for iOS developers in a previous case concerning the App Store.

Photo Credit: David Marek / Amazon Music

Amazon Music has announced pop-country singer Dasha as the latest Breakthrough Artist to receive support from the platform. She’ll receive bespoke video and audio content across the platform’s playlists and programming.

Dasha recently released an Amazon Music Original cover of Gretchen Wilson’s “Here for the Party” in advance of her Mane Stage debut at Stagecoach. The track captures the bold, celebratory spirit of Wilson’s original version while adding her unique and playful flair.

“We’ve long been fans of Dasha at Amazon Music. She’s a true presence in country, unafraid to be herself, ruffle some feathers, and make some of the most undeniable music at the intersection of pop and country in creative memory. We look forward to helping make her creative vision a reality. We’ll see you all in Dashville, USA,” adds Michelle Tigard Kammerer, Head of Country Music for Amazon Music.

“I feel incredibly honored to be selected for Amazon Music’s Breakthrough program,” shares Dasha. “I’ve got big plans for my fans, and it’s great to have the team at Amazon Music helping to make those plans a reality. Amazon Music has really embraced me and my creativity and we’re working on putting together things I’ve been wanting to do since day one. Stay tuned.”

Breakthrough is Amazon Music’s program to support emerging artists, aimed at amplifying the best new talent and championing them at the most crucial moment in their careers. The platform works with each Breakthrough artist and their teams to develop long-term, customized, global plans that are unique to each artist—with no two Breakthrough campaigns looking the same.

Recent Amazon Music Breakthrough artists include Nate Smith, Bailey Zimmerman, and BRELAND. Breakthrough includes increased visibility across their stations and playlists including Amazon Country Music’s global playlist ‘Country Heat.’ It also includes increased visibility from livestream performances including festivals, bespoke marketing activations and events, social promotion, merch offerings, Amazon original songs, editorial content, and more.

Photo Credit: Johnathan Kemper

President Trump has stated he will extend the TikTok sale deadline for a third time if a deal is not struck by the mid-June deadline. It’s unclear if any negotiations with ByteDance will be successful—especially since there’s seemingly no pressure to get a deal done by any deadline.

The deadline for Chinese company ByteDance to divest from the platform is now June 19 after being extended twice. The ban was originally supposed to be effective January 19 after being signed into law by former President Biden. But the law also contains a provision that allows the deal to be extended if negotiations are being made in good faith.

The first 75-day extension allowed the platform to continue to operate from January 19 to April 5. Throughout that three-month period, several Trump officials—including Vice President JD Vance—assured the public that a deal was being worked on behind the scenes. When the April 5 deadline approached, President Trump issued another 75-day extension from April 5 to June 19. Now Trump has signaled he’s willing to kick this can further down the road.

In an interview with ‘Meet the Press with Kristen Welker,’ Trump admitted he has a sweet spot for the app after it was crucial in winning young voters to his side. “TikTok is very interesting, but it will be protected,” Trump told Welker during that interview.

A deal was in the works to spin off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new firm based in the United States and majority-owned by U.S. investors. However, China has indicated it would not approve any deal following Trump’s steep tariffs on Chinese goods. A source close to ByteDance’s U.S. investors said the prospective deal work continues behind the scenes, but that the tariff dispute between the U.S. and Beijing would need to be resolved first.

Photo Credit: rishi

Apple Music has appointed industry veterans Ole Obermann and Rachel Newman as Co-Presidents to steer the streaming service. The dual leadership structure will report to Apple Vice President Oliver Shusser. The structure comes as Apple fights for market share against industry behemoth Spotify.

Ole Obermann joins the organization from TikTok, where he served as the Global Head of Music Business Development from 2019 to 2025. During his tenure there, Obermann inked a number of major licensing deals, including the contentious return of Universal Music Group’s catalog after a high-profile dispute in 2024.

According to sources to DMN, Obermann’s expertise with viral music marketing and AI-related licensing negotiations could prove critical for Apple. The downside is that Obermann has drawn mixed reviews from rights owners, both on the indie and major labels sides, with some pointing DMN to a ‘content hostile’ stance that included extremely paltry TikTok payouts to rights owners during his tenure at the ByteDance-owned juggernaut.

That disposition could be viewed as inconsistent with Apple’s prevailing artist-friendly image, which includes components like paid-only subscription access and higher streaming payouts.

Meanwhile, Rachel Newman is a 16-year Apple veteran who has risen through the ranks. She started as a manager for iTunes in Australia & New Zealand’s music division before becoming the head of global content strategy. Her understanding of Apple’s ecosystem and editorial curation processes position her to maintain the services’ premium branding while adapting to emerging market demands. Newman’s expertise in balancing regional content strategies with global initiatives could see Apple Music refine localization efforts as it aims to take on Spotify.

Apple Music has continued to leverage high-profile sponsorships, such as the Super Bowl Halftime Show partnership—which achieved record viewership in 2025. With Ole Obermann’s expertise in viral music marketing and the AI-driven content challenges faced by streaming platforms, the dual leadership structure aims to capitalize on social media’s growing virality factor for streaming economics in an era of the music industry that is practically driven by online influencers—be that people, games, movies, or TV.

The restructure also coincides with Apple’s effort to navigate the complex geopolitical landscape currently changing day-to-day. The company recently resolved a sales blockade in Indonesia by localizing AirPods Max production in Indonesia as required by law. Indonesia blocked sales of iPhone devices after Apple failed to comply with the country’s Domestic Component Level policy, requiring 40% of electronic components to be domestically produced.

Part of that resolution was to include a $10 million facility for accessory manufacturing and a $100 million proposal to assemble AirPods Max components in the country. The AirPods Max component production is only a partial solution to an issue Apple faces when balancing global supply chains with governmental policies. Apple says its Asia and Europe teams will be on the same reporting level as US governmetn affairs, which is run by Tim Powderly.

Photo Credit: Fortune Live Media / CC by 2.0

During Spotify’s recent Q1 2025 earnings call, CEO Daniel Ek spun word salad for investors who were curious when the ‘super-premium’ tier targeting superfans would arrive. Spotify has been teasing an upgraded Spotify tier for nearly five years now—yet nothing has materialized.

Spotify now has 678 million monthly active users, adding five million net subscribers for 12% year-over-year growth, reaching 268 million paying customers. Despite that ‘record subscriber growth’ Daniel Ek didn’t have much to say in the way of when investors can expect the new super-premium tier to drop. That reticence to launch seems due to a variety of factors, from licensing complexities, competitive landscape shifts, and feature development challenges.

A recent survey suggests only 45% of Spotify users would be interested in a higher-priced tier, meaning Spotify needs to add value for the tier to be attractive to users. The company may also have delayed the launch due to macroeconomic conditions, which have seen consumers tighten their belts where extraneous subscriptions are concerned. Nevertheless, when asked directly about the new tier, Daniel Ek spun a giant word salad.

Investor Michael Morris asked: “Daniel, in February you referenced your excitement for a superfan product that you had been using. Can you share more details about what makes you enthusiastic about the product and when it may be available in the market?”

Alex Nordstrom, Co-President & Chief Business Officer at Spotify, jumped in to answer before Daniel Ek could take the lead. “With regards to higher tiers, we see great potential in them as we’ve mentioned before. So creating higher tiers around new offerings is something we are working towards as it really opens up new opportunities to delight users. And of course we need alignment and support from our industry partners to offer these kinds of new experiences to our users. I think it’s also worth noting that we will continue to look for new ways to invest in our premium offering as we have done all along.”

Daniel Ek jumps in at this point, stating, “If you sort of look at the overall picture, Spotify is now a quite sizable business, but also a sizable platform. And typically, what’s interesting is that we’ve kind of gotten here pretty much with just the same freemium model that we launched and started working on now 19 years ago.”

“And so what naturally happens as the market evolves is that you typically end up segmenting the market, and that’s always been a very good business strategy—we’re just in the early innings of doing that here.”

“So I think you should expect for the near term and midterm growth when it comes to Spotify, just working on our existing subscriptions, the family plans, all of these things is plenty enough for us. It’s going to be really great.”

“But for the very, very long-term, it is an upside opportunity for Spotify, but I think one where, if I look at it from a music industry standpoint, this is, this is a huge part of the music industry. But for the near term, the way to think about it for Spotify is we’re not dependent on that for growth, but we want to make it happen.”

“So this is really one where I would put, again, the emphasis is for the superfan, we do need the partners to come to the table and be a part of this journey.”

Photo Credit: Google

Spotify stock (SPOT) shares fell by roughly 8% after the company reported its Q1 2025 MAU and subscriber gains, showing the Q2 slowdown in action. So what’s going on?

Spotify reported disappointing user and financial guidance for Q2 after showing the second-highest Q1 subscriber net addition in the streaming giant’s history. The company’s stock (SPOT) fell as much as 8% in early pre-market trading on Tuesday (April 29), and down roughly 6% around an hour before the market opened.

The company’s second quarter monthly active users (MAU) are estimated at about 689 million, down from the roughly 694 million expected by analysts. Similarly, Q2 guidance for operating income and gross margins fell short of expectations.

In Q1, MAUs rose by 10% year-over-year to 678 million, slightly below the estimate of 679 million. Premium subscribers rose by 12% from the year prior to 268 million, leading to the second-highest subscriber net addition Spotify has seen.

“The underlying data at the moment is very healthy: engagement remains high, retention is strong, and thanks to our freemium model, people have the flexibility to stay with us even when things feel more uncertain,” said Spotify CEO Daniel Ek in the company’s earnings release. “The short term may bring some noise, but we remain confident in the long-term story, and the direction we’re heading in feels clearer than ever.”

SPOT closed at around $577 on Tuesday, down almost 4%, a slight improvement over its pre-market trading.

Wall Street analysts say the music streaming platform, alongside fellow streaming giant Netflix, serves as a defensive play amid ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty in the tech sector.

“It is our view that SPOT’s subscription model should be more defensive/utility-like amid the current macro uncertainty,” said Bank of America analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich.

Spotify’s stock surged to all-time highs of around $652 in February and still climbed roughly 106% over the past year. That’s in stark contrast to the record lows the company faced in 2022.

Photo Credit: Thibault Penin

Spotify is planning to raise subscription prices in dozens of countries outside the US this summer, according to sources close to the matter.

In the face of slowing subscriber gains for streaming services in the US, Spotify plans to raise its subscription prices in countries across Europe and Latin America as early as June. The news comes from the Financial Times, citing people familiar with the situation.

Since increasing its monthly price in the US just last July, Spotify lost a bit of ground against Apple Music in 2024. Indeed, music distributor Believe noted that major streaming platforms overall had shelved plans for further price increases, particularly in the US, based on slowing subscriber growth.

Spotify has already started raising prices again in some regions, including the Netherlands and Luxembourg. But the broader push will intensify this summer, according to those familiar with the matter. The move comes as the recent period of rapid expansion in the music industry begins to wane, with global revenue growth halving in the sector last year, according to IFPI.

Meanwhile, streaming platforms including Spotify have considered charging extra money for early access to music, as executives seek new avenues to cash in on the biggest artists’ most passionate fans.

Streamers have also considered offering early access to concert tickets for those who pay for an extra-super-premium subscription tier, according to sources. Other companies besides Spotify that have been eyeing an advanced subscription tier include Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music.

Some of the buzz around new subscription tiers stems from Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge introducing the term “Streaming 2.0” at a capital markets day back in September. “We believe that the value will grow enormously,” Grainge told investors. Streaming companies view this “Streaming 2.0” as the next phase of their services, in which pricier premium tiers contain (niche) content focused predominantly on “superfans.”

US streaming subscriber growth, 2020-2024 (source data: RIAA)

As the music industry plans an extreme superfan makeover, who gets to control this party? The answer might be complicated – and seriously fragmented.

The future of the ‘superfan economy’ is unpredictable, and the current ‘2.0’ expansion is largely on its starting blocks. The broader revenue prospects tied to capturing super-engaged fans beyond current levels are also difficult to predict, and winners will likely take years to materialize and scale.

It’s a complex soup of possibilities, with music fans – i.e., the consumer – ultimately determining success outcomes. But who gets to control the action – and money – generated by engaged superfans?

In this report, we take an overview of where things stand in the music superfan expansion in the ‘early days’ of 2025 – and look at some possible winners in this game.

Report Table of Contents

I. The Superfan Economy Has Always Existed – So Why Is the Industry So Focused On It Now?

A. The Slide Into Passive Listening and the Flattening Forecast for DSPs

B. The ARPU Problem: Why Low/Mid-ARPU ‘Fans’ Simply Aren’t Cutting It

II. ‘Superfan 2.0’: A Look at the Early Possibilities

III. Who Gets to Own Fan Engagement? A Look at the Possible Ownership Hubs – And Conflicts — Surrounding Future Superfan Experiences

IV. The Macro-Economic Look: How Much Disposable Cash Do Fans Have, Anyway?

Please note: the following report is for DMN Pro subscribers only — please do not redistribute. Thank you!

Photo Credit: Spotify

Spotify expands its AI Playlist beta to 40 more countries as YouTube announces a very similar feature.

Spotify launched its AI Playlist beta a year ago, a feature that creates playlists on the fly based on listeners’ text prompts. After expanding the beta to a few more countries back in September, Spotify is now rolling the feature out to 40 more countries as the beta continues.

Now, Premium subscribers in countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean can “effortlessly turn their most creative ideas into playlists.”

And the timing couldn’t be better. Yesterday, YouTube Music announced a similar feature called Ask Music, though YouTube is describing this feature as a “personalized radio station,” rather than a playlist generator. But both are based around using text prompts to describe the type of music you want to listen to for an AI-generated output.

YouTube’s Ask Music is available in “select countries” for English-language subscribers to YouTube Music and YouTube Premium, as part of YouTube’s broader 20th birthday celebration.

But Spotify and YouTube are hardly alone in their efforts to capitalize on AI tools in their products. Amazon Music launched AI playlist generation with Maestro in April last year—around the same time Spotify announced its AI Playlist beta. Then, in July, Deezer came to the table with its own “Playlist with AI” functionality.

Meanwhile, Apple Music has been testing the waters with an AI artwork generator since last summer. The functionality allows users to create playlist artwork using AI as part of Apple’s Image Playground, which itself is part of the Apple Intelligence toolset.

It’s worth noting that the vast majority of these companies’ AI features remain paywalled, available only to paid subscribers. That’s not by chance, especially given rumors that Spotify is going to launch yet another paid tier to accompany its newly bundled offerings and continued expansion into video content and audio books.

Photo Credit: YouTube Music

Google is working to close the feature gap between YouTube Music and its most popular rivals—Spotify and Apple Music. Now you can directly share lyrics from the YouTube Music app. Here’s how.

Lyric sharing is a feature that has long been available on Spotify and Apple Music, making it possible to share pertinent lyrics on social media and elsewhere. Not only does this help with music discovery among influencers’ fans, but it also raises awareness of the music service being used. YouTube Music appears to be taking a page out of Spotify’s book by branding lyrics shared in this manner.

How to Share Lyrics on YouTube Music

The new feature only shows up when you’re on the lyrics tab directly reading along with the song. From there, a new ‘Share’ button will pop up allowing you to select the lines you want to share. Once selected, tapping ‘Next’ takes you to a customization page where you can change the background color and preview what the share card will look like on social media. The share card includes the album artwork, song name, artist, and a small YouTube Music logo.

Hitting the ‘Share’ button will post the lyrics card directly to apps like Instagram, save it to your gallery as an image, or send it through another supported app. The feature appears to be rolling out to users as a server-side update—so not everyone may have access yet. According to the redditor who originally spotted the feature, their YouTube Music app version is 8.15.51 on Android.

‘Fan-led streaming’ is one of the three main pathways for music discovery alongside editorial curation and algorithmic recommendations. Sharing lyrics creates organic opportunities for fans of influencers to discover new music they might not have seen before. Now YouTube Music users can get in on the action.

Photo Credit: Michael Beckerman / LinkedIn

TikTok’s U.S. Public Policy Chief Michael Beckerman is stepping down from his role to transition to a global advisory position. The departure comes amid the second extension of the U.S. deadline for ByteDance to divest from TikTok — and follows a number of high-profile departures at the app.

The Information reported the departure on Wednesday, citing a staff memo sent to TikTok employees. ByteDance has not publicly commented on the departure, but it comes amid a trade war between the United States and China.

Competition to acquire the U.S.-based business of TikTok has heated up, with AppLovin Corp confirming a preliminary bid in an exchange filing. Meanwhile, Amazon and a group led by OnlyFans founder Tim Stokely are also exploring making a potential bid, though the exact details of the cobbled-together deal remain undisclosed.

So far, Beijing has stonewalled any talks of selling U.S. operations, unwilling to force ByteDance to sell-off the app when 170 million Americans use TikTok. Vice President JD Vance was put in charge of negotiations, with his previous position being that terms of the deal would be finalized by April 5th. That deadline has come and passed, with the Trump administration extending the deadline seemingly with no deal in place.

Michael Beckerman has played a central role in TikTok’s efforts to resist a U.S. government ban. Beckerman’s departure comes at a critical moment as TikTok faces ongoing political and legal pressure in the United States over ownership. The U.S. government requires ByteDance to divest U.S. operations or face a total ban. It appears Beckerman’s exit is part of a broader wave of management changes and restructuring at TikTok.

That includes layoffs that have impacted TikTok’s U.S. e-commerce division and a shift in operational oversight to global leaders from China and Singapore. The company’s U.S. e-commerce team has faced increased scrutiny amid the ongoing trade war between the United States and China—particularly because the platform has underperformed for ByteDance.

As of now, TikTok remains available in the United States, but it’s unclear how long that will last. The new deadline for divestment is June 19—and Beijing is still as unwilling as ever to allow ByteDance to continue with any sale negotiations. ByteDance has signaled before that it would rather see the U.S. operations shuttered entirely than to divest and sell them off to an American buyer.

In February, TikTok Music head Ole Obermann jumped ship, sparking questions about the app’s long-term prospects in the US. That departure was closely followed by TikTok’s Global Business Solutions Head, Blake Chandlee, who exited last month.

Photo Credit: Alexander Shatov

Spotify is back up after a widespread outage that left many users suspecting hackers were to blame. But the company says that’s “completely inaccurate.”

Tens of thousands of Spotify users reported problems with the popular music streaming service on Wednesday during a widespread outage. But Spotify was back up and running a few hours later.

“All clear — thanks for your patience,” said Spotify on social media, around noon ET. “Get in touch with @SpotifyCares if you still need help,” the company added, pointing to its support account.

Users widely had difficulty loading the app and the desktop site earlier in the day, or playing songs, as well as using the platform’s search function. Spotify also noted some users had trouble accessing its support site.

Disgruntled users took to social media to vent their frustration at the interrupted service. “Messing with my morning, man!!” wrote one user. Some users said they were still able to listen to music, but experienced issues during playback. Other users said they couldn’t listen to any music, or get the service to load on either the mobile app or the desktop site.

The outage seemed to have begun around 6:20 AM ET, with outage reports appearing to peak after 9:30 AM ET, with around 48,000 people reporting issues. Spotify said it was “back up and functioning normally” by 11:45 AM ET. In the early afternoon, around 1,500 outage reports remained. Users across the US and parts of Europe appear to have been affected.

While Spotify did not specify what might have caused the outage, the company was quick to stamp out rumors that a security hack was to blame. The Stockholm-based streamer says reports of that nature are “completely inaccurate.”

Spotify currently serves up music and podcasts to more than 675 million users worldwide, including 263 million subscribers across over 180 markets.

Photo Credit: Olivier Bergeron

TikTok made nearly $39 billion from its US operations last year, drawing the question of the economic impact of a federal ban to the forefront.

Beijing-based TikTok parent ByteDance earned a quarter of its total revenue last year from its US TikTok operations, according to sources close to the matter. The company’s international revenue jumped 63% to a whopping $39 billion in 2024, a quarter of ByteDance’s total revenue of $155 billion for the year — its highest to date.

Moreover, growth in ByteDance’s Chinese operations, such as Douyin (China’s version of TikTok), has slowed significantly. That leaves the company more dependent than ever on what TikTok earns from American users.

ByteDance is now between a rock and a hard place. If it doesn’t divest TikTok in the US, it will completely lose that revenue. But if it does divest TikTok, and the platform is able to continue its US operations, ByteDance will only get a lump sum in the transaction, missing out on its future US earnings. Neither option is preferable for the company, which has already indicated it is reluctant to make a deal, especially when faced with Trump’s hard-hitting tariffs.

TikTok’s list of potential suitors grows ever larger, while some estimates have put the platform’s value at over $100 billion. In comparison, TikTok is earning more than YouTube, but less than Instagram, and likely not profiting as much as either.

YouTube earned over $36 billion in ad revenue last year, but its income from Premium subscriptions, YouTube Music, YouTube TV, and movie/television rentals pushes that number even higher. Instagram brought in around $71 billion, with its annual profit jumping up 59.5% year-over-year.

ByteDance, meanwhile, saw only a 6% increase in profit in 2024, for a total of $33 billion in profit out of $155 billion in revenue. That’s due in no small part to its significant investments in AI development and data infrastructure. The company also invested heavily in ecommerce, with its TikTok Shop accruing impressive sales during the Black Friday weekend.

However, given that TikTok just laid off a portion of its US-based ecommerce team, perhaps it isn’t reaping as many benefits from its success abroad as one might expect.

Photo Credit: Windows

Apple Music now offers Dolby Atmos playback on Windows, upping its support of devices outside the ecosystem. The strategy makes sense to capitalize for Apple’s Services division—main competitor Spotify’s high-fidelity audio offering is still MIA.

Dolby Atmos is a surround-sound audio format that allows music to be heard in an immersive, three-dimensional audio experience. The feature was added to Apple Music for Windows in a recent update—which will require a PC and headphones with Dolby Atmos audio playback support. Apple first debuted Dolby Atmos support for Mac and iOS devices in June 2021, so the Windows update has been a long time coming.

Apple initially delayed supporting Dolby Atmos playback on Android devices when the feature launched more than four years ago. But now Apple Music supports both Android and Windows devices—though Windows support requires the additional step of installing the Dolby Access app for full functionality. That app requires a $14.99 license to continue to playback Dolby Atmos audio after a seven-day free trial.

Despite the additional step required, Apple Music is now one of the only major DSPs to give Windows users access to spatial audio. Spotify officially announced its HiFi audio service at its Stream On event in February 2021—but Apple’s support of Dolby Atmos for free took the wind out of those sails. From 2021 throughout 2024, CEO Daniel Ek continually reaffirmed that high-fidelity audio was coming to Spotify.

Now rumors suggest Spotify is testing what it’s calling ‘Music Pro’ which is an add-on priced at ~$5 month that bundles HiFi audio with features like AI tools and concert ticket availability and additional audiobook listening hours. This new premium add-on is expected to launch this year—but it’s unclear how willing Spotify Premium users will be to pay extra when both Apple Music and Amazon Music include HiFi in their base streaming tiers.

The ‘Music Pro’ add-on plan is also still pending label negotiations. Spotify secured a multi-year deal covering HiFi streaming with Warner Music Group in February 2025. It also secured a similar deal with UMG for ‘new paid subscription teirs’ and ‘super fan experiences’ in January 2025. Talks with Sony Music are ongoing and not yet finalized. Spotify’s rumored AI-powered song remixing may be part of the hold-up.

Photo Credit: Spotify

Spotify invests over a million dollars to help authors and publishers produce more audiobooks in other languages, starting with French and Dutch.

Spotify has announced a plan to invest €1 million ($1.1 million) to boost audiobook production in languages other than English, starting with French and Dutch. Adoption of Spotify’s audiobook offerings has been relatively slow in the Netherlands and France, which is why Spotify wants to start with these languages.

According to Spotify, less than 3% of French-language books are currently available in audio format, with only about 20,000 audiobooks in French compared to around 750,000 physical books. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, around 15,000 Dutch audiobooks are available out of a physical library of around 209,000 titles.

Spotify launched its audiobook service in France and the Benelux region (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg) back in October. The company believes the slow adoption can be attributed to the high production costs of creating audiobooks, which may deter publishers from converting written works into audio formats.

The company has emphasized its commitment to working with human narrators, but Spotify recently partnered with ElevenLabs to encourage authors to publish cost-effective AI-narrated content. However, that partnership has raised concerns among the publishing community.

Spotify has also left the music industry thoroughly displeased, as the company’s audiobook offering being bundled into its music plans reduces music royalties. Even worse, Spotify recently secured a win against the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), as a federal judge dismissed the latter’s copyright lawsuit levied against the former.

“The Court finds that […] the only plausible application of the law supports Spotify’s position,” wrote Judge Analisa Torres. “Under the facts alleged, audiobook streaming is a product or service that is distinct from music streaming and has more than token value. Premium is, therefore, properly categorized as a Bundle, and the allegations of the complaint do not plausibly suggest otherwise.”

The MLC alleged that Spotify had initially added audiobook access to its Premium offering in November 2023, which was before the shift in “bundling” was made official in pricing and royalty statements. But the judge found the timing to be of little consequence.

That decision may have an impact on future negotiations and other streaming services’ bundling classifications. It’ll be worth keeping an eye on to see how things evolve.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Green

Superfan apps like Weverse (HYBE) and the freshly-launched Berriz (Kakao Entertainment) have become critical tools for K-pop labels — helping transform fan engagement into scalable revenue streams while addressing core industry challenges along the way. Now, it looks like Warner Music’s superfan app is getting off its starting blocks.

Traditional streaming economics often fail to capture the full financial potential of highly engaged ‘superfans’—those who drive music discovery and interact with their favorite acts on a daily basis. Superfan apps and platforms, by contrast, leverage direct-to-consumer models, offering tiered subscriptions, exclusive merchandise, and virtual concerts for the most dedicated fans.

While these apps have exploded in popularity among music fans in Asia, US labels are looking to emulate that success.

HYBE’s ‘Fan Club’ segment—which includes Weverse—generated $69.7 million in 2023, up 35.9% year-over-year. That’s because superfans spend 80% more monthly on music than the average listener, with 61% stating they purchase both digital content and physical albums.

These superfan apps help centralize fan activity, providing labels with granular behavioral data around time spent interacting with an artists’ content, purchase patterns, and more. That data can be useful in informing everything from tour planning to merchandise drops—reducing reliance on third-party platforms like social media.

It’s no small surprise that major labels in the United States want a piece of this action. Last year, Robert Kyncl announced that Warner Music would focus on building out its own superfan app, allowing fans to connect with their favorite artists. Kyncl hired a new tech team to build the app, with an initial buy-in from Atlantic star Ed Sheeran.

A new profile in The Wall Street Journal of Elliot Grainge makes brief mention of the app, which appears to be going through internal testing. “A beta version rolled out to some employees for testing in the spring,” the WSJ reports. “The app looks like an Instagram feed of only Ed Sheeran posts that users could like and comment on, barebones in both tech and content.”

Sheeran shared his feedback with the tech team, with Elliot Grainge is closely working with to get the app ready. “The project suffered from a lack of alignment between the team building it and Atlantic,” the report continues. “Kyncl says Grainge is already working closely with the tech team. ‘They can only build as well to what they’re guided to,’ Kyncl says. ‘They need insights from the people who are on the ground. Elliot’s really good at helping filter this.’”

Now a more sophisticated version of the app—that Sheeran actively uses—rolled out to a small group of test users in recent weeks.

Photo Credit: Spotify

Spotify unveiled major advertising updates at its Spotify Advance event in NYC earlier this month. The detailed changes led to online speculation that Spotify Premium members would begin receiving advertisements—sparking calls for cancelation if that happens. Spotify has flatly denied the rumor.

Spotify Advance detailed several new changes to how Spotify will deliver ads on the audio platform. They include a new programmatic marketplace that enables real-time bidding for audio, video, and display ads across Spotify’s logged in users. Spotify also detailed new Gen AI ads allowing for the use of AI to create ads that leverage Spotify’s listener preferences.

Several tweets circulated over the last few days following the event suggested that Spotify would follow in Netflix’s footsteps by introducing ads on paid plans. The rumor suggested the current $11.99 monthly Premium plan would see limited ads introduced, while Spotify would introduce a higher-paid tier for continued ad-free listening.

“There is a rumor circulating that Spotify is putting ads into premium music listening,” Spotify tweeted to address the rumor. “This rumor is false. Premium music listening is and will remain ad-free.”

Despite the denial, some users have reported encountering ads despite having a paid Premium subscription. Spotify has chalked up those issues to a technical glitch. But the social media backlash to a Premium tier with ads showcases how much people are paying to avoid ads—rather than support artists.

“I hope Spotify knows that the only reason I use them is for Spotify Wrapped and I don’t need it. So the minute I hear a whisper, a hint, a concept of an ad, BYE!” reads one angry tweet about the potential change. These rumors gained traction among Spotify’s rumored upcoming ‘Music Pro’ tier, which is expected to offer higher-fidelity audio and additional features for a higher price—with speculation that ad-free listening would be bumped to this tier.

A federal lawmaker is criticizing the latest TikTok sale deadline extension. Photo Credit: Solen Feyissa

Is the latest extension to the TikTok forced-sale deadline “a clear violation of the law”? At least one member of Congress believes so, and he’s expressing “deep reservations” as a result.

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) just recently voiced that pushback in an open letter to President Trump, who last week extended the cutoff for ByteDance to divest from TikTok in the U.S.

Prior to this extension (which is the second overall), evidence pointed to an imminent deal for TikTok in the States, we covered in detail. But just before the transaction’s anticipated announcement – and following the White House’s tariffs rollout – China pulled back from the agreement.

Now, against the backdrop of intensifying trade and tariff negotiations, it remains to be seen how the marathon TikTok episode will conclude. Ahead of the grand finale, however, Senator Warner is taking aim at the deadline extension and the reported sale terms for TikTok U.S.

On the former front, the senator reiterated “that the law passed by Congress” – it’s been almost one year since then-President Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act – “only allowed for a single extension of no more than 90 days.”

“This second delay, announced April 4, 2025,” Senator Warner proceeded, “is a clear violation of the law while also continuing to leave Americans vulnerable to malign influence operations conducted by an adversary country.”

Building on the position, the senator called out the divestiture’s reported particulars – including a non-controlling stake in TikTok U.S. for ByteDance when all is said and done.

(The “reported” descriptor is important; concrete specifics haven’t been directly confirmed in this area. The senator in his letter cited terms highlighted in “news reports.”)

“A successful and comprehensive divestiture will require any successor to scrupulously prevent influence or access by ByteDance or other entities under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China,” the lawmaker wrote. “The deal being discussed undermines confidence that the divested app can be trusted to protect national security and ensure compliance with the law.”

Time will tell exactly what the criticism (coming only from the senator, with no co-signers on the letter) means for TikTok’s possible U.S. sale.

Most immediately here, from the perspective of support among younger voters, logic and evidence suggest that aggressively advocating for TikTok’s stateside shutdown is ill-advised.

Thus, it’s unclear whether the pushback will pick up steam and fuel a broader campaign against the extension. But if so inclined, the senator and others could perhaps increase the pressure on Google and Apple, which are still carrying TikTok in their respective app stores and could technically face massive fines under the language of the forced-sale law.

Regardless, amid reportedly devolving U.S.-China trade talks, it’s also possible that the well-defined TikTok deal (which would require Beijing’s approval) won’t wrap at all. On the other hand, should the long-discussed divestiture come to fruition, it’s safe to say the platform’s executive team will look different under the new owners.

TikTok USA, circa 2025 (Photo: TCY)

Months after ‘the ban,’ there’s no telling what happens to TikTok next in the US.

After inching oh-so-close to a deal to secure TikTok in the US, China apparently pressed hard pause on the arrangement following Trump’s tariff slap. So what does that mean for the music industry?

If you love uncertainty, this one’s for you. Trump is now extending the ban by another 75 days, though a hard clock is now ticking on a deal that was apparently 99% done. Congressional pushback on the ‘phase 2 extension’ is already happening, and Apple is seeking White House assurance that the app can remain on its App Store.

This slow-motion cookie crumble could go in any direction. Among the possibilities within the next 30 days: TikTok shutting down for good or continuing business-as-usual — or, potentially, some insane variation in the middle.

Last we checked, TikTok is available on both the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, though this situation is volatile. And certainly not a recipe for crafting stellar, long-term artist marketing campaigns — or advertising campaigns, for that matter.

Most music folks are smartly spreading their marketing efforts across the gamut of social media giants, with IG Reels and Shorts getting a nice stability bump. That said, as long as TikTok is ticking, it has the power to blow stuff up — including entire artist careers and dusty catalog tracks.

While the over-under on TikTok’s survival has gone haywire, some executive ship-jumping is worth noting — particularly TikTok Music ex-honcho Ole Obermann, who recently packed his bags for Apple Music. And he’s not the only one potentially pondering the writing on the wall.

Meanwhile, other platforms continue to seize the moment. On that note: what major social media platform just inked a broad-reaching deal with major music publishers? (Hint: the first letter isn’t ‘X’…)

On a broader note, few in the music business seem to be rooting for TikTok’s survival.

It’s not that TikTok isn’t making some effort to play nice with the music business. Just last week, for example, TikTok was among the supporting sponsors at the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) golf classic and fire relief efforts in Los Angeles. But for the most part, the vibe within the music industry isn’t warmly supportive, to say the least.

TikTok famously refused to reasonably compensate rights owners until absolutely forced, with the aforementioned Obermann battling it out with Universal Music Group for weeks before a deal was hammered out. Indies are also understandably cool on this low-paying platform, though TikTok’s marketing muscle is certainly potent — especially if the viral fairy gods tap your shoulder.

Then again, that’s the aspiration for rivals like Reels and Shorts, among others. And we get the sense that witnessing a heavy door slamming on TikTok’s derriere would be oh-so-satisfying for many industry folks.

Guess everyone’s replaceable — and let’s face it, life will go on in the music industry, with or without TikTok USA playing a role in it.

More as this develops.

Got a juicy tip? Hit me up at paul@digitalmusicnews.com or Signal (@digitalmusicnews.07).

Photo Credit: Nordskov Media

President Trump grants TikTok another 75-day extension to comply with the law requiring the company to sell to a US entity or face a federal ban.

A day before the previous deadline on April 5, Donald Trump has extended TikTok’s deadline by another 75 days. The extension buys TikTok time to comply with a law that requires the platform to divest from its Chinese parent ByteDance or face a ban in the US.

“We do not want TikTok to go dark,” wrote Trump on his Truth Social platform on Friday. “We look forward to working with TikTok and China to close the deal.”

ByteDance released a statement on Friday, saying it has been in discussion with the Trump administration, but that “an agreement has not been executed.”

“There are key matters to be resolved. Any agreement will be subject to approval under Chinese law,” said a ByteDance spokesperson.

The hugely popular TikTok, which has over 170 million users in the US, briefly went dark before Trump took office as the app prepared to shut down in the country. Congress passed a bipartisan law last year giving ByteDance six months to sell its controlling stake in TikTok or see the platform shuttered in the US.

Lawmakers have argued that the platform’s Chinese ownership could enable its use as a tool for political manipulation and other threats to national security.

The latest extension comes as the Trump administration attempts to broker a deal to bring TikTok under American ownership and keep it operational in the United States. Vice President JD Vance is said to be leading the administration’s efforts to secure a buyer.

Potential buyers have included billionaire Frank McCourt and Canadian business guru Kevin O’Leary; private equity giant Blackstone; venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and Perplexity AI; and big tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon. Despite the seemingly endless list of interested parties, a sale can only move forward if ByteDance (and the Chinese government) agrees to sell.

But China now faces a 54% tariff on goods imported to the US, leading to its retaliation with 34% in counter-tariffs. Trump has suggested the US could offer a deal in which China agrees to approve a TikTok sale in exchange for reduced US tariffs on Chinese imports.

“We hope to continue working in good faith with China, who I understand are not very happy about our reciprocal tariffs,” said Trump, adding that such trade levies are “the most powerful economic tool, and every [sic] important to our national security.”

Photo Credit: Vornado Realty Trust

After weeks of negotiations, Universal Music Group (UMG) has finalized the paperwork for a 336,000 square foot office space in the Penn 2 building in midtown Manhattan.

UMG signed a lease for the massive office space, expanding its footprint from the current 242,505 square-foot office at Jack Resnick & Son’s 1755 Broadway. UMG’s lease for 1755 Broadway does not expire until 2028—so the company has plenty of time to make the big move. Terms of the deal were left undisclosed, but Vornado Realty Trust CEO Steven Roth revealed during a recent earnings call that Penn 2 space is leasing in the range of $100 per square foot.

“I’m predicting that Penn 2 will likely be 80% leased by year-end,” Roth told investors during that earnings call. “We are achieving rents here above our underwriting.” Roth also revealed during that earnings call that the company was ‘weeks away’ from signing the 300,000 square-foot lease—though he did not share it was with UMG at the time.

Vornado recently completed its redevelopment of Penn 2—which sits directly above Pennsylvania Station—including a new facade, lobby, and rooftop lounge. The developer also added a 430-foot glass canopy leading into the office tower dubbed the Bustle. Other tenants in the Penn 2 location include Major League Soccer, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, NY E-Health Collaborative, and Nomura Holdings.

The office market in New York City has been struggling with vacancies since the pandemic has brought on increased remote work options. Tenants looking for office space have been gravitating toward newer buildings with more amenities, which is why Vornado focused on revitalizing the building to attract new companies.

The renovation began in 2018 with a comprehensive overall. As of April 2025, the renovation has been ongoing for six years as part of a broader Penn District revitalization plan aimed at modernizing the area surrounding Penn Station and Madison Square Garden.

Photo Credit: Triller

Indie music licensing conglom Merlin is now suing TikTok rival Triller over allegedly violating a licensing agreement between the two.

The lawsuit, filed on Thursday (March 27th) in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that Triller violated a licensing agreement the two companies have shared since 2020. That agreement is said to contain a “most favored nation” (MFN) clause, requiring Triller to make up the difference to Merlin if it offered higher licensing fees to another music company.

Merlin says it discovered the violation in another lawsuit filed against Triller in 2022. While Merlin’s complaint doesn’t name the other company, it’s likely to be Sony Music Entertainment, which sued Triller in 2022 with allegations of “millions” in unpaid licensing fees.

Triller and Sony came to an agreement requiring the former to pay the latter $4.57 million — but Merlin discovered through the course of that lawsuit that Sony had secured a better deal. This means Triller was then required to pay the difference to Merlin.

According to the complaint, Merlin and Triller came to an agreement that Merlin was owed $2.55 million, but Triller never made that payment.

Merlin’s lawsuit also claims Triller reneged on another part of their agreement. In their 2020 licensing agreement, Triller gave Merlin a warrant for the option to buy a certain amount of stock at a set price. This option allegedly stipulates that Triller is required to honor that warrant even if the company were sold or merged.

Triller went through a merger last year with Hong Kong-focused financial services firm AGBA. The newly merged organization began trading on the NASDAQ in October — but Merlin alleges its original warrant for Triller stock should have been converted to a warrant for an equivalent amount of stock under the new Triller Group. The indie collective says that never materialized.

“Merlin has still not received information regarding how Triller intends to handle the matter. Merlin was promised new warrants in November, and Triller has yet to deliver those warrants,” the complaint reads.

The indie collective is asking for $2.55 million in licensing fees plus interest, as well as for the court to order Triller to honor the warrant it gave Merlin, or to award damages for failing to do so.

Photo Credit: Too Lost

Lissen has created an interactive music platform for engaged fans, rewarding them for listening to their favorite music. Moving beyond just passive listening, Lissen rewards engaged super fans with gems with every action they perform. Those gems can be used to unlock further rewards on the platform. Now, Lissen is partnering with Too Lost to help reach wider distribution—through the gamification of music listening.

The following is in collaboration with Too Lost, a proud partner of Digital Music News.

The fan-centric royalty model Lissen employs means artists are getting paid from fans who are actually listening to their music. It does not use the traditional digital service provider royalty model, in which royalties are split based on a percentage of streams at the platform level.

Fans who want to support artists directly with their listening minutes do so—and are rewarded in turn. That puts the power in the hands of fans, with their money going directly to the artists they stream. Fans are rewarded for engaging and artists receive royalties based on actual user engagement. The result is real connections created with artists that last beyond the release of a single or an album.

Too Lost’s partnership with Lissen aims to foster the community aspect of music that has been lost with the current passive model of royalty support. With fans engaging in the platform to support artists, there are a number of different opportunities that can be offered to super fans—who drive music discovery and can help make or break an artists’ virality. Lissen’s platform brings the community aspect back to music listening, which has been a core aspect of enjoying music since time immemorial.

“Too Lost is excited to partner with Lissen and to introduce our independent music to their platform,” says Too Lost’s Gregory Hirschhorn. “Their fan-centric royalty model ensures that our artists and labels are fairly compensated based on actual listener engagement, rather than platform-wide streaming totals. This aligns with our mission to empower artists and labels with transparent, equitable revenue streams and new opportunities to connect with their most loyal fans.”

Artists want to succeed in music, which means understanding the business aspect of the industry innately. Lissen gives them the tools to act like a business. Too Lost’s distribution model gives artists on Lissen far more access to engaged fans and puts music discovery back into the hands of super fans who actually enjoy interacting with music beyond just passive listening.

“Discovery at the song and experience level is the platform’s secret weapon, helping artists find those fans who want to go beyond music within an engaged community,” says Benjamin Geyre, founder of Lissen.

Photo Credit: Kid Rock by Eva Rinaldi / CC by 2.0

Trump invited Kid Rock to the White House for the signing of an executive order aimed at curbing ticket scalping in the entertainment industry.

President Trump signed an executive order on Monday designed to “stop price-gouging by middlemen,” and to “bring common sense” changes to the way events are priced in the live entertainment industry. Kid Rock, a long-time supporter of the president, was invited to the Oval Office for the signing.

“Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years — no matter what your politics are — knows that it’s a conundrum,” said Kid Rock.

“You can buy a ticket for $100. By the time you check out, it’s $170. You don’t know what you’ve been charged for,” he continued. “But more importantly, the bots, you know, they come in, they get all the good tickets to your favorite shows you want to go to, and then they’re re-listed immediately for sometimes 400-500% markup.”

Kid Rock added that Trump’s order is a “great first step,” but that he would eventually like to see a cap on resale prices on tickets.

The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to enforce any scalpers offering tickets at higher than face value to comply with all IRS bylaws. Further, it orders the FTC to ensure “price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchase process,” and to “take enforcement action to prevent unfair, deceptive and anti-competitive conduct in the secondary ticketing market.”

The executive order is primarily directed at federal agencies to enforce laws that already exist to curb scalping. But the move is not dissimilar to one performed by the last president, Joe Biden, who used the FTC to focus on “junk fees” added onto ticket prices at checkout.

Live Nation applauded the new executive order with a statement on Monday evening that “scalpers and bots prevent fans from getting tickets at the prices artists set, and we thank President Trump for taking them head-on.” Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino also thanked Trump and Kid Rock in a statement on social media.

The Department of Justice sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster last year under the Biden administration, accusing the companies of antitrust violations in the live event industry. That case is still ongoing under the Trump administration.

Photo Credit: DMN Pro

Major digital service providers (DSPs) saw their subscriber growth flatline in 2024 as the US market for music subscriptions becomes saturated. Spotify and Apple Music are still growing—but everyone else has seemingly stalled out.

The data showcasing this flatline comes from DMN Pro, which charts how each DSP is performing based on earnings reports and other collated data. It’s difficult to ascertain whether subscribers are platform hopping—but the growth of Spotify and Apple Music seem to suggest this. Major competitors like Amazon Music and YouTube Music actually lost subscribers in 2024.

Spotify and Apple Music locked in gains and together, they both now account for two-thirds of the entire streaming subscription pie in the United States. In terms of broader consolidation, the top four streaming music platforms—Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music—now account for 97% of all music subscription accounts. Throw in Pandora Premium and that’s 99% of the premium subscription market.

Apple Music reported a 1.42% positive change in subscriptions from December 2023 to December 2024, while in the same time period Spotify only saw 0.58% growth. Meanwhile, Amazon Music shed subscribers at a -1.01% rate, with YouTube Music shedding -0.21% in the same time period. Services like Tidal, SoundCloud, iHeartRadio, LiveXLive, and Deezer have all flatlined.

Because of this flatline in the U.S. market, music subscription services are shifting their thinking towards offering ‘super premium tiers‘ to entice customers to pay more. Perks of these subscriptions may include improved audio fidelity, live concert perks, and other goodies. However, it remains unclear if these perks will jump start subscription growth again. Apple Music’s surprise inclusion of lossless audio to its default subscription service obviously took wind out of Spotify’s sails. Spotify’s rumored super-premium offering has yet to materialize five years after its teaser.

Want to be on top of which way the music industry is moving? Consider subscribing to DMN Pro to receive up-to-the-minute updates on subscription growth for all major DSPs as collated by DMN from multiple data sources including royalty statements, breakdowns, DSP-supplied reports, and more.

Photo Credit: Reuters

President Trump has stated that a deal for TikTok’s U.S. operations will be struck “by the weekend” ahead of the extended April 5 deadline.

“We have a lot of potential buyers,” Trump shared with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night. “There’s tremendous interest in TikTok. I’d like to see TikTok remain alive.”

TikTok has not commented on the proceedings, though investors are lining up around the block to take a cut of the pie. On Friday, private equity firm Blackstone revealed that it is evaluating taking a minority investment in the U.S. operations of TikTok. Blackstone would join ByteDance’s existing non-Chinese shareholders led by Susquehanna International Group and General Atlantic in contributing fresh capital for a bid for U.S. operations.

Trump initially gave the platform an extended stay on Biden’s ban—which required the platform to find a buyer by January 19. With the new April 5 deadline approaching, Trump has signaled that he is willing to extended the ban deadline so long as talks for selling the U.S. operations are productive.

He has also suggested he could sweeten the deal for China, stating, “maybe I’ll give them a little reduction in tariffs or something to get it done.” Trump originally tasked Vice President JD Vance with getting the deal done. Vance says he expects general terms of the agreement resolving the ownership to be reached by April 5. But neither he nor Trump have shared what that deal would look like.

TikTok has more than 170 million users in America—though rival platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have been gaining traction amid ban talks. Instagram say a 16% increase in creator content within a week of the January 19 ban date. YouTube Shorts also saw a 14% increase in content creation during the same period. With China seemingly reluctant to engage in talks about transferring U.S. operations of the platform—it’s unclear if the April 5 deadline will happen.

Photo Credit: Alexander Shatov

A new survey suggests 45% of Spotify subscribers are interested in a higher-priced service level, up from 39% from Q4.

A survey by KeyBanc Capital Markets reveals that 45% of Spotify subscribers are interested in a possible “high-end” service tier from Spotify — even though SPOT stock dropped over the weekend. That’s up from 39% in the firm’s fourth-quarter survey.

“While Spotify has not officially announced a higher-priced tier, comments from the company and labels suggest one is on the way,” said analyst Justin Patterson. “The quarter-to-quarter uptick [in interest] coincides with this question expanding to highlight priority ticket access as part of the tier. With Spotify already having agreements with two major labels [UMG and Warner], we suspect this tier could launch in second-half 2025.”

The company’s Q1 survey showed that 31% of respondents use Spotify, compared with 22% for Pandora, 18% for Apple Music, and 17% for Amazon Music. While 37% of respondents said they listen to YouTube Music, KeyBanc attributed the higher number to confusion between YouTube’s video platform and YouTube Music.

Among Spotify users, 48% use its free, ad-supported tier, while 47% subscribe to a paid Spotify service. The remaining 5% were unsure which Spotify tier they used.

Spotify subscribers were asked if they’d be willing to pay an additional $5-6 a month for a “super fan” Spotify subscription with extra features. Those features could include enhanced audio quality, early access to new releases, AI playlist creation, artist Q&A sessions, and priority access to concert tickets. Around 45% said they were interested, while 32% said they were not interested. The remainder were undecided.

KeyBanc surveyed 2,045 people in the United States on their audio habits. The survey also showed more interest in audiobooks on Spotify, 29% versus 25% in the previous quarter.

“We continue to view Spotify as being well positioned to achieve at least 15% annual revenue growth over the medium term, with potential to reach 20 growth if new initiatives and advertising ramp,” said Patterson.

In the US, Spotify’s ad-free subscription costs $11.99 a month for a single user, $16.99 for a two-person plan, and $19.99 for a family plan. The company also offers a student plan for $5.99 a month.

Despite a slow weekend overall, Spotify stock continues to soar, with a 120% return over the past year. Analysts maintain a bullish consensus with price targets ranging from $442 to $759.

Photo Credit: Hybe

Hybe’s superfan platform Weverse launches a new in-app music streaming service, ‘Listening Party.’ Artists and fans can host online streaming parties to listen to curated playlists and chat in real time.

Weverse’s new service integrates Spotify as the platform’s primary streaming partner. As a result, users will need both a Spotify Premium subscription and a Weverse account to access the Listening Party feature. All users can join a virtual listening party, but hosting capabilities are excluslvely available to subscribers of Weverse’s Digital Membership program, which launched in December.

Hybe CFO Kyung-Jun Lee said during the company’s Q4 earnings call that while Digital Membership is still in its infancy, profits “are expected to increase gradually.” Revenue recognition will have started in January, following a month’s free trial for users when the program launched in December.

Weverse’s Listening Party feature will “offer a new way of communication” for fans, artists, and labels through music. The company notes that “fans can come together to voice their support while simultaneously providing tangible benefits to their favorite artist through active streaming.”

“The main priority of Weverse is to offer the ultimate fan experience,” says Weverse President Joon Choi. “By introducing services like Listening Party, Weverse is dedicated to fostering ongoing participation between artists and fans while simultaneously offering artists a chance to tap into the increased opportunity in direct-to-fan engagement.”

Joon Choi also recently participated in a SXSW Session, “The Future of Music: Building a Superfan-Centric Business” to discuss superfans in the music industry.

“Once fandoms grow beyond a certain level, their needs expand beyond general social media, and dedicated platforms like Weverse are necessary to retain the fans,” said Choi. “Weverse is a tailor-made platform for superfans, integrating e-commerce, streaming, and community features that are necessary to meet the growing demand of superfans.”

“Artists and fans know that Weverse is where the most loyal core fans are,” he continued. “Because of this, it creates a unique environment where they can interact in a more meaningful way.”

Photo Credit: Apple

An upcoming iOS 18.4 update directly adds an Ambient Music feature to the iPhone Control Center. But how will this work, exactly?

The new iOS update is currently in beta, due to be released to the general public sometime next week. As a result, the new Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. But to get a head start on Ambient Music before the update drops next week, here’s how to use it.

On iOS 18.4, open the Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left corner. Next, tap on “Add a Control” at the bottom of the screen, and scroll down to the Ambient Music section. There, you can add one or more of the controls.

Apple describes the four Ambient Music themes as follows:

• • Sleep: Music for a restful sleep.
  • Chill: Music for relaxation.
  • Productivity: Music for focusing on tasks.
  • Wellbeing: Music for meditation and self-care.

Four playlists are available for each theme, but you can also set your own. To change the playlist, open the Control Center and tap on the plus sign. Then, tap on an Ambient Music control you added previously, and tap on the playlist name. A drop-down menu will show additional options:

• • Sleep: Sleep Sounds, Bedtime Beats, Sound Bath, Piano Sleep.
  • Chill: Piano Chill, Ambient Chill, Lo-Fi Jazz, Pure Chill.
  • Productivity: BEATstrumentals, Binaural Frequencies, Pure Focus, Classical Concentration.
  • Wellbeing: Pure Meditation, Spa, Beats & Breath, Pure Calm.

While the Ambient Music feature is turned on, music controls will appear on screen, and newer iPhones also get Dynamic Island integration. The feature is free to use, with no Apple Music subscription required or additional app to download.

Apple has also recently announced that after the iOS 18.4 update, AirPods Max with a USB-C port will gain support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio. The Apple Music catalog consists of over 100 million songs that will benefit from lossless audio — though some experts say the functionality offers “no major improvement” over AAC encoding.

Once the update is released, to update your iPhone to iOS 18.4, open the Settings app and select General, then Software Update.

Photo Credit: Spotify

Spotify is expanding its partner monetization program for creators to nine new markets, starting on April 29. These include France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Ireland, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

First launched in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia in January, the Spotify Partner Program (SPP) grew payouts to creators by over 300% since last year, according to Spotify. The program offers audience-driven payouts from Spotify Premium video engagement and the ability to monetize via ads in Spotify Free and on all other podcast listening platforms.

“We’re seeing some exciting early results as the top 20 eligible video podcasts have seen an average 24%-plus growth of consumption, and video podcast consumption on Spotify is up more than 20% since the program’s launch,” said Shekinah George-Lawal, Senior Account Executive at Spotify, in a statement.

“We’re continuing to hear optimism from creators about the opportunity that the Spotify Partner Program and uninterrupted video provide: it gives them more flexibility and control over their businesses, while also allowing them to deliver the best possible version of their content to fans — something that will drive loyal and retentive audiences.”

As a result of this early success, Spotify has expanded the Partner Program to nine new international markets to give more creators another way to earn for their engaging video content. The company is removing dynamic ad slots in Premium, replacing it with a model that Spotify says believes is better for creators, users, and advertisers in the long-term.

Spotify pays creators for their video engagement from Premium users; they still run ads in the free version, from which creators get a revenue share. Creators continue to have the freedom to use “baked-in” ads and keep 100% of that revenue.

“It’s still early days, but as we continue to refine and scale, we want every creator in the SPP to have the opportunity to earn a consistent, sustainable, and meaningful income,” George-Lawal continues. “Further investment in video includes providing creators with enhanced discoverability and better promoting options for their full-length podcast episodes across Spotify with tools like Clips.”

Streaming music platform (DSP) market share breakdown as December 2024, US (Source: DMN Pro, Digital Music News)

YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Pandora Premium, and other streaming platforms struggled to gain subscribers in 2024, as Spotify and Apple Music notched their collective leads higher.

The streaming music market isn’t a one- or two-horse race — in the United States or globally. However, two fast-galloping horses, Spotify and Apple Music, are pushing their collective market share higher in the US as rival platforms struggle to gain ground. According to our latest market share statistics through December 2024, Spotify and Apple Music now account for more than two-thirds of total paying music streaming subscribers in the music industry’s largest market.

Here’s the full breakdown, including a year-over-year market share analysis.

Report Table of Contents

I. The Latest US-Based DSP Market Share Breakdowns (as of December 2024)

II. Year-Over-Year Comparisons: Spotify and Apple Music Pull Ahead – As Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Others Lose Ground

III. Challenging Stagnation: Where’s the Innovation Breakthrough to Jumpstart Subscribers?

IV. Our Methodology: Description, Limitations, and Future Enhancements

V. Appendix: Streaming Music Pricing & Audio Fidelity Breakdown for Top DSPs, March 2025

Please note: the following report is exclusively for DMN Pro subscribers — please do not redistribute. Thank you!

Photo Credit: YouTube

YouTube Shorts will change the way it counts ‘views’ to match industry standards starting March 31. This change will have no impact on monetization.

Beginning on March 31, YouTube will change how it counts views on Shorts to align with industry standards. Currently, YouTube only registers a view after a Short has been watched for a minimum number of seconds. But the upcoming change will count a view whenever a Short starts to play or replay, with no minimum watch time requirements.

This change may result in higher view counts for creators, but notably, it will not affect YouTube Partner Program (YPP) eligibility or earnings. Both metrics are based on “engaged views,” which represent the current way YouTube counts views, and which will be preserved under the new name.

Creators seeking YPP eligibility must still meet the following requirements:

• 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months, or;
• 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days.

After March 31, the new Shorts views metric will be displayed wherever Shorts views are currently shown. The “engaged views” metric will be available in YouTube Analytics’ “Advanced Mode” only. For performance comparison, YouTube advises using engaged views when comparing content published before March 31.

According to YouTube, the change reflects creators’ request to understand how often their Shorts are actually seen. Creators should be able to better showcase the full extent of their reach, making it easier to inform their content strategy.

This update also aligns YouTube Shorts metrics with those of Instagram Reels and TikTok, both of which track the number of times a video starts or replays. As a result, YouTube says creators will be able to better understand how their short-form content is performing across multiple platforms. Since TikTok’s status in the United States has been thrown into the air, both Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have been growing.

Photo Credit: Blake Chandlee (Global Business Solutions, TikTok)

What do these guys know that we don’t? Perhaps the question answers itself: now TikTok’s Global Business Solutions Head, Blake Chandlee, is leaving the company, according to an internal memo. The move comes just a month after Global Head of Music, Ole Obermann, departed the company for Apple Music.

Blake Chandlee, Global Business Solutions Head overseeing marketing and ad sales at TikTok, is departing the company. The news was revealed in an internal memo to staff this week. Chandlee’s departure is only the latest as TikTok fast approaches the end of a 75-day extension on a potential federal ban in the US.

“As our offerings become more technical and our client product solutions become more sophisticated to provide even more value, it is important that global business solutions (GBS) and global monetization product technology (GMPT) operate increasingly hand-in-hand,” wrote Chandlee. “To enable this, I have decided it’s best to streamline under one department lead and will be scaling back my day-to-day role to an advisory one.”

Chandlee has been with TikTok since 2019, serving as a major figure in defending the company against those who have called to ban it. He will officially leave TikTok on April 1, but will remain as an advisor to the company. Will Liu, who oversees the global monetization production team, will lead the combined group in Chandlee’s stead.

His departure is the latest in a series of executives who have left the company, including Global Head of Music, Ole Obermann; Head of Ad Sales, North America, Sameer Singh; and US General Manager of Agency Business, Jack Bamberger.

These changes come at a pivotal moment for TikTok, which is currently facing a divest-or-ban law that requires its owner, China-based company ByteDance, to relinquish US operations to a US-based company. Its continued operation in the US is based on an executive order that gave TikTok until April 5 to find a suitable buyer.

But despite a slew of interested parties, ByteDance and the broader Chinese government have been opposed to a sale. How things will shake out by April 5 remains to be seen — though the Trump administration remains adamant that a sale is in the works.

Photo Credit: Ashley King

Apple Music just got more appealing to DJs with the launch of ‘DJ with Apple Music,’ an integrated experience with several leading DJ software and hardware platforms. AlphaTheta, Serato, Engine DJ, Denon DJ, Numark, and RANE DJ are all supported—allowing DJs to build and mix sets directly from the Apple Music catalog.

The integration allows DJ at every level to have access to Apple Music’s catalog of over 100 million songs to create and rehearse their sets on their favorite DJ software. The move follows Spotify’s currently vague plans to introduce its ‘Super Premium’ tier which would include AI remixing features. It appears Apple is once again taking the wind out of Spotify’s sails—much like it did with the launch of lossless audio quality added to the base Apple Music tier.

“Apple Music is committed to supporting DJs,” says Stephen Campbell, Global Head of Dance, Electronic, & DJ Mixes at Apple Music. “With this latest integration, we’re taking that commitment even further—seamlessly connecting Apple Music with the industry’s leading DJ software and hardware. This innovation brings the full power of Apple Music into the creative workflow, making it easier than ever for DJs to access, play, and discover music in real time.”

With the launch of this DJ support, Apple has created a dedicated page spotlighting a series of DJ-friendly editorial playlists. It has also introduced new curator pages for each DJ software and hardware platform, showcasing mixes and sample playlists that can be used to practice.

“Teaming up with Apple Music is a milestone moment for Serato’s artist community,” adds Young Ly, CEO at Serato. “We are excited to see established and new DJs alike combine their passion and creativity with access to one of the largest streaming catalogs in the world.”

DJ with Apple Music builds upon the success of Apple Music’s DJ Mixes, which launched in September 2021. That launch has turned Apple Music into a premier destination for premium DJ mixes, with a comprehensive collection of thousands of sets. In December 2024, Apple Music also launched Apple Music Club—a live global radio station where mixes from DJs are thoughtfully curated together.

Photo Credit: Ivan Radic / CC by 2.0

With the latest TikTok ban in the US just two weeks away, will Chinese parent company ByteDance agree to any sort of arrangement?

The battle for a US-based TikTok deal seems to be largely powered by US investors attempting to prod a deal along. Chinese parent company ByteDance has repeatedly vowed that no deal is on the table, and China is not interested in relinquishing any ownership in its precious algorithms.

Existing backers of ByteDance are rapidly seeking to acquire additional stakes in a US TikTok business. But ByteDance seeks to retain a stake in the platform’s US operations, which would negate the purpose for a US spinoff in the first place.

TikTok faces an April 5 deadline for a federal law that will ban the app in the United States (again) unless its Chinese ownership agrees to sell the US arm to US-based, non-Chinese entities. That legislation was introduced by Congress over national security concerns, and initially came into effect in January. But the platform returned almost as quickly as it was shut down, as Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline by 75 days.

ByteDance strongly favors the proposed deal structure centered on software giant Oracle, according to reports. But whether the company (and the Chinese government) will agree to release meaningful control on the platform to allow it to remain operational in the US still remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, Beijing’s criticism of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison’s decision to sell its port business near the Panama Canal to investment company BlackRock illustrates the CCP government’s hesitancy to cut any sort of deal with the US. According to China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, CK Hutchison’s sale was a “betrayal of China” that neglects its national interests.

Similarly, advertisers are torn whether to cut their losses or double down as TikTok’s future in the United States remains shaky. Already, enough have walked away to plummet ad prices for those who have chosen to stay. TikTok asserts that brands have not abandoned the platform — but the decline in ads is tough to ignore.

“Support has been coming,” said Adolfo Fernandez, global head of product strategy and operations, commerce, at TikTok. “We have almost 100% of the brands previously on TikTok in the US back online.”

But even if that’s true, the demand for ad space on TikTok has declined, perhaps as its competitors ramp up efforts to attract users and creators who want to jump ship ahead of a potential platform ban.

“TikTok’s future remains a question mark for some clients, with concerns about a potential ban causing hesitancy to test new ideas,” said Deanna Mulkeen, head of media investment at agency Wpromote.

Similarly, indie agecny Hanson Dodge recommended its clients pause spending on TikTok prior to the January ban deadline. Clients who took that advice have yet to return to the platform. “Overall, we’re seeing less spend with TikTok than last year,” said executive media director Jeremy Whitt.

Whether TikTok will admit it or not, many of those brands have shifted their focus on Meta’s Reels, YouTube Shorts, Snap Commercials, and even Reddit Category Takeovers. Agencies like Wpromote confirm they are “exploring where we can redirect client dollars to take advantage of similar audiences, communities, and creative ad products across the social ecosystem.”

TikTok’s competitors are clearly not waiting for the fallout when — or if — the platform does see a US ban. Instead, they’re putting their ad dollars to good use on social platforms that don’t run the risk of vanishing in two weeks’ time.

Photo Credit: Spotify

Spotify launches a new personalized playlist to help listeners discover upcoming concerts in their area. Concerts Near You is updated every Wednesday.

Every Wednesday, the personalized playlist is updated with 30 songs from artists performing nearby, complete with event details and links to buy tickets. To make this happen, Spotify is partnered with ticketing platforms including Ticketmaster, Eventbrite, DICE, and AXS.

Like Spotify’s other personalized playlists, “Concerts Near You” is based on users’ listening habits to enable them to find artists that fit their tastes. To make sure users are getting the latest concert updates, they should navigate to the Live Events section and make sure they’re sharing their location. Spotify recommends enabling push notifications and following favorite artists to receive personalized reminders.

This latest launch follows Spotify’s recent publication of its annual Loud & Clear report, which details information about the platform’s royalty payments. According to Spotify, an artist who received one in every million streams on the service generated over $10,000 on average in 2024. That’s 10 times what the same share would have generated a decade ago, Spotify says.

Spotify is champing at the bit to show the amount it has paid out to artists and songwriters to disprove the reports that the company doesn’t properly compensate artists for their work. But many in the music industry are still demanding fair compensation from the company.

Just a few weeks ago, several Grammy-nominated songwriters boycotted Spotify’s songwriter of the year party over the company’s decreasing royalties. Due to changes in the way Spotify bundles its offerings, estimates show that songwriters and publishers stand to lose around $150 million over a 12-month period.

Further, Apple Music still pays artists about twice as much as Spotify does, according to a report from Duetti. That report found that Spotify paid artists only $3 per 1,000 streams, whereas competitors like Amazon Music, Apple Music, and YouTube paid $8.80, $6.20, and $4.80 respectively in 2024. Spotify asserts these claims are “ridiculous and unfounded,” however.

Photo Credit: Deezer

French headquartered music streaming platform Deezer reports strong revenue growth in 2024, though its total subscribers are down.

The company’s 2024 revenues reached $586 million, up 12.7% year-over-year, exceeding estimates of 10% annual growth. Meanwhile, Deezer’s total subscriber count reached 9.7 million by the end of the year, down nearly 8% year-over-year. The difference comes partly from ARPU (average revenue per user) bumps, a big focus for DSPs and labels alike.

Deezer’s strong revenue growth across the year was attributed primarily to partnerships, including RTL+ and Meli+, and the “12-month positive impact of price increases in [its] Direct segment.” The company also reported an operating loss of $29.76 million — an improvement over its operating loss the year prior, at over $70 million in 2023.

This change, the company says, “mainly reflected increased adjusted gross profit and lower operating costs, including non-recurring charges related to licensing agreements, which amounted to €10.1 million in 2024 compared to €18.8 million in 2023.”

Meanwhile, Deezer generated $338.52 million in its home market of France. That’s an 8.6% year-over-year increase. The company’s “Rest of World” segment (everywhere Deezer is available that isn’t France) generated $247.72 million, up by 18.7% year-over-year.

Deezer says it ended the year with a “solid financial position and free cash flow positive for the first time” in the company’s history. Its free cash flow totaled $7.12 million in 2024.

The company’s change in cash flow is attributed to the “sharp reduction of adjusted EBITDA loss, the higher generation of working capital as compared to 2023, […] as well as lower one-off items (including the impact of tax regularization.”

“2024 was a landmark year for Deezer, marked by progress, innovation, and growth,” said Deezer CEO Alexis Lanternier. “We achieved full-year revenue growth of 12%, above our financial targets, reached adjusted EBITDA break-even in the second half, and Deezer became free cash flow positive for the first time.”

“We also expanded our subscriber base in France and saw strong momentum in our partnerships segment. These milestones are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team, reflecting Deezer’s ability to execute on its strategic vision with discipline and focus. Looking ahead to 2025, we are on track to achieve positive adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow.”

Photo Credit: Round Hill Music Co.

Round Hill Music will open a new brick and mortar music store in Greenwich, Connecticut this May. The store is designed as a haven for musicians, collectors, and fans of all stages. It blends high-end guitars, vinyl records, apparel, and lifestyle goods into one immersive storefront.

Local musician and music industry executive Josh Gruss is leading the personal passion project. It aims to bring design, craftsmanship, and culture together in a unique space that bridges the gap between serious musicians and casual listeners. The store is a two-minute walk from the Greenwich train station and will feature curated vinyl selections and an inviting layout to make music discovery more effortless.

“Opening this store is a great way for me to connect with the community and offer an experience that I’m strongly connected to, while bringing back something that Greenwich Ave has been missing for a long time—a music store,” shares Josh Gruss, Founder of Round Hill Music.

“Growing up, some of my favorite memories are of going to 48th street in New York, which back then was a whole city block of instrument shops. The Round Hill Store is very much inspired by Manny’s, a famous guitar store on 48th street that I used to love going to as a teenager,” Gruss continues.

“Today stores like Manny’s have all but disappeared; there isn’t the same opportunity to enter a store and just comfortably hang out, chat music, and experience a selection of legendary guitar and amp brands. That Manny’s experience is what we’re creating with our store.”

“We have some amazing plans for in-store performances on the weekends and evenings, from our incredible artist roster at our own record label, Round Hill Records, as well as local artists and national touring artists who might want to stop in on their way to The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester.”

Notable brands that will be available at the Round Hill Music Co. will include Gibson, Fender, Paul Reed Smith, Taylor, LsL Instruments, Rock N Roll Relics, Ernie Ball and Suhr. The store will also carry premium speakers from Divalet and Transparent in addition to artisanally-produced amps, pedals, turntables, books, candles, and more.

Photo Credit: Bill Eccles

That Spotify outage last week you may have heard about? It was all a ploy to out pirates who use Spotify’s premium service without paying for it.

Reports last week that Spotify was down may have been severely overestimated. It seems that those affected were not legitimate users of Spotify’s premium service—and the outage may have been intentionally planned to catch those users in the act.

Reports of Spotify’s downtime actually started to surface around March 3, with more discussions popping up about the perceived issue last week. However, it became increasingly apparent that this wasn’t a global outage. And no evidence suggests that any Spotify subscribers were impacted.

Speculation points to an international Spotify campaign to make its platform inaccessible to users who were enjoying the streaming service’s “premium” ad-free experience without paying for it. The apps targeted appear to have been primarily Android versions either “modded” or “cracked” to allow for paid features to be used for free.

Google Trends search data, (which is available for periods of up to seven days before jumping to 30 days or more), shows a search for Spotify outages peaked last week. That’s higher than any other Spotify-related search in the last 90 days.

Users who pirate Spotify content are much more likely to employ a modded version of the official Spotify app—instead of a third-party app that pulls content (illegally) from Spotify’s servers. Some of these apps signal to Spotify that the user has a premium subscription by intercepting the platform’s requests to load user data and modifying the response.

When a user of a pirated Spotify instance goes online to see if others are experiencing the same outage, they’re effectively outing themselves as a pirate. That’s because the issue is only impacting cracked apps who modify responses between the app and Spotify’s servers. Searches of this nature that blew up over the past 90 days came primarily from Ukraine, Belarus, Italy, Poland, and Moldova, with France and the UK not far behind.

Whether Spotify can or will actually do anything with the data it may have gleaned from this potential experiment remains to be seen. At the least, the company managed to thwart a swathe of pirates over the past month — but combating piracy is like playing a game of whack-a-mole. Newly modded APKs (Android app files) appear on the internet just as quickly as they’re intercepted. But the outage indicates Spotify is working on ways to easily identify bad actors.

Photo Credit: Eyestetix Studio

Is a TikTok deal finally happening next month? A new report from Reuters suggests Vice President JD Vance has the framework for new ownership of TikTok’s U.S. operations ready to go.

The fate of TikTok in the United States hangs precariously in the balance. That’s because former President Joe Biden signed a law requiring China to divest from TikTok or face a ban in the United States. That ban went into effect on January 19, when TikTok was taken briefly offline in the US to comply with the law. But since then, President Trump signed a 75-day stay, tasking JD Vance with completing the deal.

Both JD Vance and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz were tasked with overseeing the sale of the app. Last weekend, Vance confirmed that at least four different groups were in competition to assume U.S. operations of the app. “There will almost certainly be a high-level agreement that I think satisfies our national security concerns, allows there to be a distinct American TikTok enterprise,” Vance told NBC News.

At least one White House official says while the framework may be in place by April 5, there may be additional work needed after the deadline. Neither TikTok nor ByteDance have responded for requests for comment. Citing anonymous sources, Politico reports that the White House is in discussion with Oracle on a deal that would give the company oversight of TikTok’s U.S. data. The agreement would also keep ByteDance’s algorithm in place.

But if that’s true, it raises questions about how well the deal will address national security concerns. With the algorithm still in place, the deal could result in vulnerabilities that still give China access to U.S. TikTok data—since ByteDance would still be involved in the development and administration of the app.

Billionaire investor Frank McCourt has also expressed interest in acquiring TikTok. Earlier this month, Digital Music News reported that Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian joined McCourt’s bid for the social media site.

Photo Credit: Wojciech Pędzich / CC by 4.0

Playboi Carti’s newly released album MUSIC has broken Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day record for 2025 so far.

“Carti’s MUSIC is already making history,” Spotify said in a post on X/Twitter announcing the stat. Spotify supported the rollout of the Atlanta rapper’s album with huge billboards across major cities including Los Angeles, New York City, and Miami. Those billboards contained messages like ‘STREETS READY,’ ‘SORRY4 DA WAIT’ and ‘I AM MUSIC MF.’

Playboi Carti dropped his single “All Red” before the official release of MUSIC on March 14. That single reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #3 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album features several high-profile stars collaborating with Carti including Young Thug, Travis Scott, Future, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, Lil Uzi Vert, Skepta, and Ty Dolla $ign. Producers who worked on the album include Cardo, Metro Boomin, Southside, F1lthy, Ye, Cash Cobain, and Ojivolta, among others.

The 30-track album drops five years after Carti’s last album, Whole Lotta Red, which topped the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts when it debuted in 2020. Meanwhile, Playboi Carti is set to headline Rolling Loud California tonight. The festival bragged that Carti’s 2018 debut album Die Lit dropped just the day before Rolling Loud Miami. Now Carti appears to be continuing that tradition by dropping his latest music before taking the stage at Rolling Loud California.

Kendrick Lamar is listed only as a feature on the song “Good Credit,” but he also guests on “Mojo Jojo” and “backd00r.” Travis Scott also appears on three songs on the album including “Crush,” “Philly,” “and Wake Up F1lthy.” The Weeknd features on “Rather Lie,” Skepta on “Toxic,” and Future on “Charge Dem Hoes a Fee” and Trim.” Lil Uzi Vert appears on “Jumpin” and “Twin Trim.” Meanwhile Ty Dolla $ign and Young Thug both have verses on “We Need All Da Vibes.”

Photo Credit: Peter Kaminski / CC by 2.0

Oracle is reportedly a top contender to help run TikTok, which has until April to finalize a sale to a US-based buyer.

New reports suggest that Texas-based computer tech giant Oracle is the leading candidate to serve as the cloud technology partner for managing TikTok in the US. TikTok has until April to finalize a sale to a US-based buyer, or the short-form video platform will once again go dark across the country.

Sources close to the matter, including investors, told The Information that ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, favors Oracle over other cloud providers. TikTok has been utilizing Oracle servers to store US data since 2022, which makes it a likely option.

The report also suggests that ByteDance will still want to have a “hands-on role” in TikTok’s US operations, with Oracle as a partner. Whether this will pan out remains to be seen; ByteDance has been staunchly opposed to a sale to a US-based company. But the China-based company’s involvement in TikTok is precisely what led to the US government seeking a US-based buyer for the platform, citing national security concerns.

Meanwhile, as TikTok’s future in the United States remains uncertain, the platform is trying to address safety concerns cited by tech experts and government officials. The company has released a new reminder that tells teens to stop using TikTok at night, with more parental controls available.

If a teen under 16 is using the app after 10 PM, TikTok will interrupt their feed with a full-screen reminder to “wind down.” The reminder will play “calming music to help teens relax and be mindful of the time.” Users can ignore the initial 10 PM reminder, but TikTok will display another harder-to-dismiss prompt. The company plans to expand the “wind-down” feature in the future, with tests incorporating meditation exercises “in the coming weeks.”

This accompanies TikTok’s new updates to its Family Pairing feature, which has already enabled parents to put restrictions on their child’s account. Soon, a new Time Away feature will allow parents or guardians to prevent their child from visiting TikTok during specific times, and to set a recurring schedule. Parents will also have the ability to see who their child is following, who follows them, and the accounts that their child has blocked.

DSP bundling breakdowns as of December 2024 (Source: DMN Pro)

A detailed look at the latest bundling rates across major music streaming platforms in the United States, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, LiveOne, and many others.

The music industry had its fair share of controversies in 2024, including a contentious battle over bundled streaming packages. Most notably, Spotify ‘flipped the switch’ on bundling in March of 2024 and never looked back: according to data compiled exclusively by Digital Music News and DMN Pro, Spotify moved more than 98% of its subscription plans into bundles, while notching that figure slightly upward throughout the rest of the year.

The impact on music publishers was swift: bundled packages quickly reduced publisher royalties owed by Spotify, thanks to a loophole in recently negotiated royalty rates for on-demand streams in the United States. The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) and its member publishers quickly raised a stink, and as of this report’s publication, the largest publishers have either forced direct royalty agreements with Spotify or are in the process of doing so.

Regardless, Spotify won’t be unbundling its bundles anytime soon. But what about the other major streaming platforms, like Amazon Music, Apple Music, and YouTube Music?

In this report, DMN Pro delves into the surprising bundling stats from Spotify’s biggest competitors using thousands of royalty reports from major publishing rights owners.

Get ready for a not-so-joyful bundle of a report.

Report Table of Contents

I. The DSP Bundling Breakdown for 2024: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, LiveOne, More

II. Spotify’s Leading the Charge – But Other DSPs Aren’t Following

III. The Real Bundling Impact Settles In: Indie Publishers and Songwriters May Feel the Biggest Hit In 2025

IV. Spotify, TikTok, Amazon Music and the Lot: Is the Music Industry Rewarding Good Behavior?

Please note: this report is for DMN Pro subscribers only. Please do not redistribute.

Photo credits: Graphic Design by Emily, snsnep

As UMG mega-studs like Lucian Grainge and Michael Nash continue to plot the strategy behind ‘Streaming 2.0,’ a bevy of questions are swirling. What will this bold and daring future of music streaming look like — particularly as it relates to revamped superfan and ‘super-premium’ tiers?

Universal Music Group’s most recent quarterly earnings call etched out—at least preliminarily—the broader vision behind ‘Streaming 2.0’  as it relates to upcoming streaming tiers and superfan maximization. Major streaming music platforms are part of the plan, but what will this bold future entail?

As it relates to maximizing per-subscriber revenue, CEO+Chairman Lucian Grainge outlined a shift from the currently limited plans at major streaming music platforms to something more sophisticated — and profitable. Think multiple tiers for different levels of music fans—with superfans dishing out more for extra goodies—and you’ve got the general idea.

Welcome to the bright future of music streaming, which includes, among many other things, more subscription tiers stuffed with goodies.

But this isn’t just Spotify cooking up a super-premium tier anymore. Now, all the streaming platforms will be playing ball, and every major platform is in discussions with UMG and other major rights owners.

All of which raises the question: What will people pay for – and what will they pass over?

According to the intercepted chatter, 2.0’s paint on upgraded tiers is far from dry for obvious reasons. Well-crafted strategy documents are lovely, though the grizzled industry vets among us warn that trial-and-error may be required to learn what sticks.

This brings us to the latest error: UMG and other major labels had been leading the charge on raising prices only to get spooked by the subscriber ‘plateau’—but does this mean that music fans can still be coaxed into paying more than $11.99 a month if the goodies package is enticing enough?

If you’re one of the legions of laid-off execs blindsided by plateau anxiety, you might be skeptical. However, this might be the strategic pivot the industry needs. Still, maximizing per-monthly charges with smartly-crafted super-tiers is a tricky game, especially since music fans can always say no.

And let’s be honest: so far, the industry’s response to super-premium proposals has been a bit ‘meh‘.

For years, Spotify has been teasing a super-premium package. But almost immediately after Daniel Ek offered the company’s latest version, several skeptics wondered if the billionaire CEO was losing his edge. For starters, Ek seems to have overlooked that premium audio—a major part of Spotify’s splashy upcoming upgrade—is already a serious differentiator at Apple Music. Perhaps most importantly, it’s baked into Apple’s lower-cost plan and integrated hardware.

Beyond that, Ek’s lightbulb moment regarding pre-sale concert tickets sounded equally problematic after Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino offered few promises to Spotify and other streaming platforms—that is, outside of accepting the biggest bids for exclusive access.

So, Spotify can offer you a pre-sale offer if Citi doesn’t offer a higher bid for the privilege?

Will Anybody Pay $6 Extra for Spotify’s ‘Music Pro’? A Hard Look at Spotify’s Attempt to Break the Streaming Plateau

And what about the endless stream of goodies already enjoyed by streaming subscribers – at no extra cost?

Case in point: Spotify is already doling out pre-sale exclusives to loyal artist followers. But now you’ll need to pay for that?

And that’s just one example of the endless freebie perks streaming music fans enjoy. Indeed, streaming music platforms have been bending over backward for years to give subscribers more stuff – without tying those improvements to increased prices or premium tiers. That includes lyrical overlays, better algorithmic recommendations, curated radio shows, integrated concert listings, merchandise offerings, exclusive artist showcases, podcasts, audiobooks, and high-fidelity audio.

All of which begs the question: How much more does this industry have left to give?

According to Universal Music Group, the flowing tiers of ‘Streaming 2.0’ will lure people to pay more. Grainge & Co. say they’ve done their research, and a significant portion of current subscribers are willing to pay more—i.e., if they build it, they will upgrade.

And maybe we’re truly living in ‘Streaming 1.0’. But how easily does 1.0 go to 2.0 – and will streaming music platforms work in lock-step to get the industry there?

For inspiration, you have to look across the other pond to China. That’s where the success of Tencent Music Entertainment’s ‘Super VIP’ tier is whetting the appetite for higher-priced tiers that revolve around higher-value offerings. Now, the billion-dollar question is whether that sort of traction will take root in the US and worldwide.

More as this develops.

Photo Credit: Waze

Waze periodically adds celebrity voices to its voice navigation to spice things up for long-time Wazers. The newest addition is Chaka Khan, whose dulcet tones can help you find your way.

Chaka brings her calming energy and wisdom to Waze, transforming your daily commute into a tranquil moment. Chaka’s soothing voice guides you through traffic with gentle reminders to stay present and focused on the road ahead. Navigation prompts like, “buckle up and take a deep breath. Let’s take this journey one mile at a time” and “I’m feeling good today and I hope you are too. Let’s channel that positive energy as we set out on the road,” Chaka’s guidance helps turn driving into a meditation session.

In addition to Chaka’s soothing voice providing navigation, Waze has added a new ‘Focused’ moodlet to turn your car into Chaka’s Morris—a tribute to her very first car, a Morris Minor. The experience is available globally with voice navigation in English. Those who want to experience Chaka Khan on Waze will need to update to the latest version of the app and look for the ‘Chaka Khan’ banner in the column menu to activate.

Waze is no stranger to featuring famous voices as a navigation partner. Previously Waze has featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, Morgan Freeman, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Hart, C-3PO, Boy George, T-Pain, and Thrall the former Horde Warchief from World of Warcraft. These specialized voice packs usually aren’t available for very long, so if you’re interested in soothing meditation while driving you should download it sooner rather than later.

Chaka Khan is fresh off of headlining the Montreux Jazz Festival in Miami with Jon Batiste and Janelle Monae. The festival capped its 2nd edition with a weekend of intimate, soulful and funky music with the American take on the traditionally Swiss Montreux Jazz Festival. The European edition of the festival usually lasts 15 days, so the American version was pared down for its Regatta Harbor Marina appearance.

Photo Credit: Nrkbeta / CC by 3.0

Reddit Co-Founder Alexis Ohanian has joined Frank McCourt’s bid to purchase TikTok’s U.S. operations. But is ByteDance even looking to sell?

Ohanian has joined the bid as a strategic adviser specializing in social media, according to a Reuters report. He was one of the original founders of Reddit, kicking off the ‘front page of the internet’ with his roommate from the University of Virginia. The burgeoning social media site was sold to Conde Nast in 2006. Ohanian returned in 2014 as executive chair to help right the floundering social site.

Ohanian is no stranger to Silicon Valley investments, he’s supported numerous tech companies including Patreon, OpenSea, and Instacart. Frank McCourt says, “[Ohanian] has that broad portfolio of experience…of where social media was and I think, a keen understanding of where it’s evolving.” Ohanian will support the Project Liberty bid to buy TikTok’s U.S. operations.

“Where he can help mostly is validating but also socializing what we’re doing,” McCourt says. “On the one hand, this is a project which has a very sophisticated technology at the core, and so you’re dealing with a very specific audience when it comes to demonstrating the validity of that technology and in how it works, and why it’s necessary.”

“And then you have a totally different constituency, which is basically non-technologists, who are impacted by this technology more than they realize,” McCourt continues. McCourt submitted his bid to buy TikTok’s U.S. operations in early January as the Biden ban on TikTok loomed. TikTok briefly shut down in the United States before restoring service after President-elect Trump said he would not implement the penalties as outlined in the Biden-era ban. Trump then granted a 75-day delay in enforcing the ban, tasking Vice President JD Vance to oversee the sale process.

McCourt shares that he has sent extensive information about his TikTok bid to the White House, including the details of his financing, his approach to the technology, and how his bid would satisfy national security issues raised by American agencies like the FCC and FBI.

TikTok’s Chinese parent has been reticent to engage in any sales talks. No banker has been retained, nor has ByteDance defined the assets to be sold—suggesting the app could shut down entirely if a deal is not reached. ByteDance itself has signaled it would prefer that outcome to selling off U.S. operations.

Photo Credit: Sony Music Publishing / TIPS Music Ltd.

Sony Music Publishing has renewed its exclusive global deal with India’s TIPS Music. The deal is expanded to include YouTube worldwide, excluding India, as a key platform for international publishing exploitation.

The expanded multi-year agreement grants Sony Music Publishing extended rights to Tips Music’s catalog, which features over 32,000 tracks across 24 languages. The vast collection represents some of India’s most beloved film soundtracks and popular music. Tips Music plans to invest heavily and release 12-15 Bollywood/regional film albums per year. The company also has a slate of independent music releases under the Tips Originals brand.

The strategic renewal reinforces both companies’ commitment to amplifying the global presence of Indian music, particularly as Bollywood soundtracks continue to gain momentum in international markets. The deal encompasses administration, synchronization, and expanded promotion of Tips Music’s repertoire across global digital platforms.

“We are thrilled to be expanding our relationship with Tips,” says Guy Henderson, President International at Sony Music Publishing. “Tips’ exceptional growth has been a constant factor over many years. Sony Music Publishing looks forward to an exciting future with Tips with their continued growth and success around the world.”

“Building on the success of our initial partnership with Sony Music Publishing, this renewal marks an evolution in our global publishing business,” Kumar Taurani, Managing Director of Tips Music Ltd. adds. “In just over a year of collaboration, we’ve seen remarkable growth in our international music usage, with our songs finding new listeners across continents. Adding YouTube as a platform opens significant new avenues for our artists and catalogs to reach audiences worldwide.”

“Our strengthened partnership and renewed collaboration with Tips Music marks a new era of growth and global impact,” says Dinraj Shetty, Managing Director, Sony Music Publishing India. “By combining their iconic catalog with our publishing expertise, we are committed to bringing the soul of Indian music to audiences worldwide.”

“Sony Music Publishing has the best teams and world-class reporting systems, allowing Tips to monitor publishing revenues,” continues Hari Nair, CEO of Tips Music Ltd. “The enhanced agreement with SMP enables us to leverage their unparalleled international network of partners and societies globally. The addition of YouTube should drive significant growth in our international publishing revenues.”

Photo Credit: New York Dolls at AVRO’s TopPop in 1973 / CC by 3.0

David Johansen, the frontman and last surviving member of the glam and punk pioneering band, the New York Dolls, has died at age 75.

David Johansen was also known as his pompadoured alter ego, Buster Poindexter, in addition to his work as the frontman of punk forerunners, the New York Dolls. Johansen died Friday (February 28) at his New York City home, a family spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press. Earlier this year, the 75-year-old was revealed to have been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and had a brain tumor.

The New York Dolls were early pioneers of glam and proto-punk, and have inspired countless bands that came after. The band’s style of teased hair, feminine clothes, and lots of makeup became a staple in ‘80s hair metal a decade later.

“When you’re an artist, the main thing you want to do is inspire people, so if you succeed in doing that, it’s pretty gratifying,” said Johansen in an interview with The Knoxville News-Sentinel in 2011.

Unfortunately, the band never found commercial success, and was ripped asunder between infighting and drug addictions, breaking up after just two albums. In 2004, former Smiths frontman Morrissey (who has often said how much the New York Dolls inspired him), convinced Johansen and other surviving members to regroup for England’s Meltdown Festival. That reunion led to the band releasing another three albums.

“I used to think about my voice like, ‘What’s it gonna sound like? What’s it going to be when I do this song?’ And I’d get myself into a know about it,” said Johansen in 2023. “At some point in my life, I decided, ‘Just sing the […] song. With whatever you got.’ To me, I go on stage and whatever mood I’m in, I just claw my way out of it, essentially.”

Born to a large Catholic family on Staten Island, David Johansen filled notebooks with poems and lyrics from a young age. He enjoyed a variety of music, including Cuban and R&B, as well as artists like Otis Redding and Janis Joplin.

The New York Dolls — whose lineup included guitarists Sylvain Sylvain and Johnny Thunders, bassist Arthur Kane, and drummer Jerry Nolan — took their name from a toy hospital in Manhattan. The band was excited to take over the proverbial throne left by the Velvet Underground in the early 1970s, but neither of their original two albums (New York Dolls in 1973 and Too Much Too Soon in 1974) managed to chart.

But decades later, the Dolls’ influence would be felt across genres. Artists like Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe and Chris Stein of Blondie both citing them as an early inspiration.

Their self-titled debut album was listed at No. 301 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. “It’s hard to imagine the Ramones or the Replacements or a thousand other trash-junky bands without them,” the publication wrote at the time.

After the New York Dolls first split up, Johansen started his own group, the David Johansen Band. He soon reinvented himself in the ‘80s as lounge crooner and camp icon Buster Poindexter. Johansen also formed the group The Harry Smiths, and later hosted SiriusXM’s weekly radio program, “The Mansion of Fun.”

Photo Credit: Instagram

Meta is looking into launching a standalone app for its Reels short-form videos, according to an anonymous source who overheard Instagram head Adam Mosseri discussing it with staff.

Last month, Meta announced a video editing app called Edits to compete with CapCut, which is owned by TikTok parent company ByteDance. That move marked an effort to capitalize on the company’s uncertain future in the US. But Meta isn’t stopping there.

According to a report from The Information, Meta is considering launching a standalone app for its short-form Reels. The news stems from an anonymous source who heard Instagram head Adam Mosseri discussing the project with staff.

Reportedly code-named Project Ray, the effort aims to improve recommendations for new users and existing users in the US, featuring more three-minute videos. Currently, Instagram’s feed is a mixed bag of photos, TikTok-like video Reels, and Snapchat-like Stories.

But many users feel the platform has become cluttered due to its heavy push into video, abandoning its roots as a photo-centric app. Turning Reels into its own standalone app could create an opportunity for Instagram to focus on other features that made it a popular platform in the first place.

It’s worth noting this wouldn’t be Instagram’s first attempt at a standalone TikTok competitor. The company launched Lasso in 2018, an app designed for users to create short-form videos with music, text, and filters. But as Instagram shifted its focus to Reels, Lasso was shuttered only two years later.

With TikTok facing an uncertain future earlier this year, Instagram started paying creators to promote their content on Instagram over other platforms like YouTube Shorts and Snapchat. The company has also been offering some serious cash to creators for Reels exclusivity, with reported bonuses of between $10,000 and $50,000 for the biggest creators.

Ultimately, whether TikTok stays or goes is irrelevant to the broader music industry. Rather than trying to catch lightning in a bottle, companies like Chartmetric are pursuing other, more reliable methods of gauging the success of artists across platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

And TikTok is gradually losing its foothold as the dominant time-waster among teens and young adults anyway, with a 5% dip in users in Q4 2024. Indeed, more people in this vital demographic are spending their time with YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels.

Photo Credit: MusicWatch

A study completed in January shows TikTok is rapidly losing ground to its biggest competitors, Meta’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts.

The federal TikTok ban in the US was over practically before it began. But how much of an impact did the government’s temporary shuttering really have on the short-form video platform? According to MusicWatch’s latest study, in Q4 there were more users spending their time with TikTok’s biggest competitors — Reels on Instagram and Facebook, and Shorts on YouTube — with about 5% fewer users scrolling on TikTok.

Of course, with the future of TikTok still unclear in Q4 2024, it could be said this drove users to other platforms to brace for the impending ban. But it also implies that, despite its continued market share, TikTok and its highly sought after algorithms don’t hold nearly as much sway over the landscape as initially thought.

The biggest indicator of this shift is in TikTok’s decline among its core constituents between ages 13 and 24. TikTok’s share fell a surprising nine points from 51 to 42% among the younger demographic. Instagram and YouTube happily swept up most of the difference.

Meanwhile, among users 45 and older, TikTok lost four share points, while YouTube and Facebook saw an increase. Overall, TikTok dropped five share points year-over-year in the music category, settling at 29%. Meta holds a combined 36% share, including both Facebook and Instagram, while YouTube Shorts holds a 26% share, up 2% from the year before.

As of January, there were over 103 million music listeners on these apps in the US — a rise of 80% since 2021. On average, these listeners spend 6.5 hours per week with music on social video apps, or around an hour per day. This doesn’t include time spent with other genres, such as comedy or how-to videos.

It’s unclear whether the shift is due to uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future in the US, or if it indicates an organic shift to competitors. But artists and creators may need to reexamine their relationship with social video platforms beyond just TikTok.

Photo Credit: Ashley King

New data published by app analytics firm Sensor Tower says TikTok & Douyin—the Chinese version—are the first non-gaming apps to surpass $6 billion in in-app purchases in 2024. TikTok also generated a record high of $1.9 billion in gross IAP revenue in Q4 2024.

Only YouTube and the Google One subscription surpassed TikTok’s Q4 revenue total in the whole calendar year. TikTok generated more than double the revenue from any other app or game in 2024—highlighting what a power house the social media app has become. The second-place app was the game Monopoly Go, which only earned $2.6 billion in 2024. Meanwhile, TikTok’s IAP revenue in 2024 is up $4.4 billion compared to 2023.

While TikTok is having a banner year in terms of IAP generated, the app was only #2 in downloads for Q4 2024. Instagram topped the list as the TikTok ban scare forced the mostly young (13-24) cohort of TikTok users to consider a different social media network. Rounding out the top five in downloads are WhatsApp, Facebook, and Temu.

It’s worth noting that TikTok’s Chinese counterpart Douyin is included in this data—which significantly helps boost the numbers. Douyin’s content is tailored towards a Chinese audience and has tighter data regulations due to the Chinese government’s regulations. Douyin is also more heavily focused towards being an e-commerce platform—something TikTok has worked on transforming for its American audience throughout 2023 and 2024.

TikTok revenue directly benefits the creator economy, as users spend real money to buy virtual gifts for their favorite creators. That money can be cashed out by the creator—though TikTok retains 50% of the payout. With the method of in-stream shopping that TikTok is building catching on, expect those numbers to skyrocket in 2025. TikTok was already the first non-game app to reach $10 billion in total consumer spending in 2023. With a potential ban seemingly shelved for now—that number will likely continue to grow.

Chartmetric’s ‘Talent Search Tool’ sifts through an enormous amount of data to better predict winners (photo: Chartmetric)

You can forgive the music industry for being blasé about the fate of TikTok in the United States.

In fact, many have privately expressed to DMN that they’d love to see TikTok pack its bags. Over the past year, TikTok has done an impressive job of pissing off a vast range of rights owners, from Universal Music Group to the smallest indie. In the blunt language of this business, TikTok’s payouts stink — and so does its attitude towards rights owners.

But there’s a deeper reason why many in the music industry have done little to advocate for TikTok’s survival in the US: it just doesn’t matter as much for their businesses. That came into stark focus with UMG: according to data unearthed by DMN Pro, Universal Music was making more from paid downloads than TikTok royalties before their dispute.

Beyond the financial calculations, there’s an even more serious issue: chasing down viral TikTok artists is becoming a losing game.

“The TikTok gold rush is declining,” Chartmetric analyst Domenico Randazzo told Digital Music News while pointing to more reliable success indicators like Instagram engagement and user-created streaming playlists — among dozens of other data predictors.

Others, including Duetti, are finding that TikTok’s supposed star-making magic only runs so deep. TikTok is undoubtedly breaking new artists and breathing life into old songs, but the success levels aren’t great outside of the flashy outliers. Digging into the data, Duetti found that even amongst the fewer than 1% of tracks that ‘go viral’ on TikTok, only about 15% experience long-term streaming growth on digital service providers (DSPs) like Spotify and Apple Music.

Those stats aren’t shocking for data players like Chartmetric. The company quickly realized that music executives were shifting away from TikTok signing derbies and more towards sophisticated data analytics to identify the next generation of chart toppers. After nearly two years of intensive research, the company recently launched a predictive talent search tool, promising to give companies an edge in the race to identify tomorrow’s superstars.

The company’s new offering, simply called ‘Talent Search Tool,’ sifts through data from over 10 million artists, identifying key “signals” that suggest an artist’s potential for long-term success. Each artist receives a daily score from 1 to 10 across various metrics, making it easier to spot emerging talent worthy of deeper investigation. Just recently, Chartmetric joined forces with DMN to broaden awareness of its data-powered predictive tool.

“Data has always been an essential component of the gut instinct that A&Rs rely on,” says Chaz Jenkins, Chief Commercial Officer of Chartmetric. “But with so many artists releasing music today, it’s nearly impossible for anyone to have sufficient awareness of the marketplace.” In that soup, Chartmetric aims to offer a data-driven lens to navigate the overwhelming volume of music being released globally.

Decoding the Signals: What Makes a Future Star?

Chartmetric’s Talent Search Tool filters in action (photo: Chartmetric)

Chartmetric’s tool categorizes these signals into Performance Metrics and Contextual Metrics. Performance Metrics, such as user engagement (for example, Instagram likes relative to followers), consistent growth across streaming platforms, and user-created playlist additions, provide quantifiable measures of an artist’s traction.

Contextual Metrics, on the other hand, offer a more nuanced view, considering factors like editorial playlist placements, presence in “trigger cities” (those with high listener growth potential), international reach, and audience demographics.

“There is no single metric that can predict success,” explains Akash Mukherjee, VP of Product Management at Chartmetric. “Each of the signals we identified integrates multiple data points from many services.”

According to Mukherjee, the tool’s power lies in its ability to handle the “heavy analytical work behind the scenes,” allowing users to identify emerging talent far earlier than traditional methods.

Suddenly, Context Is King.

Chartmetric emphasizes that these metrics are not to be interpreted in isolation. Context is crucial. For instance, a low editorial curation score might indicate that an artist is gaining traction purely through organic fan engagement, which could be a valuable asset. “Extreme values provide context about an artist’s profile, not necessarily positive or negative,” notes Randazzo.

The tool’s flexibility is also key. Users can apply filters for genre, region, gender, career stage, and other criteria to narrow their search and find artists who align with their specific goals. This customization is vital in an industry where different stakeholders have varying priorities. Labels may seek rapid growth, while publishers might focus on established, recurring success.

But is Chartmetric simply setting the stage for the next ‘A&R arms race’?

Companies are notorious for glomming around rising TikTok stars with checkbooks in hand. But Chartmetric is hoping to offer something more tailored to what different companies are actually chasing. Chartmetric’s Morgan Burrell told DMN that companies are now racing to “determine specific findings and tailor the tool to individual needs” instead of chasing a single viral sensation.

That said, more sophisticated data could create future signing derbies, particularly around fast-surging artists. But that’s always been part of the business.

Speaking of specialization, Chartmetric also noted that its Talent Search Tool goes beyond record labels and publishers. For example, artist managers can leverage the tool to track their clients’ progress and refine their strategies. Advertisers and marketers can gain insights into audience demographics for targeted campaigns. Even universities and business schools use Chartmetric to train the next generation of music industry professionals.

But great results will probably take some training, particularly for those wanting to find long-term artists who can thrive in their businesses. As for the evolving expertise required to interpret the data, this is about as far from the days of A&R guys hitting clubs and listening to demo tapes as possible.

It’s also a step beyond the madness of chasing TikTok virality. “It’s all about the nuances of interpreting various metrics on the platform,” says Randazzo. “Contextual understanding of these metrics is critical.”

Topping the music industry’s shuffles this week is Ole Obermann jumping ship from TikTok to Apple Music. Is this merely the rumble before the earthquake?

The timing of Obermann’s move is eyebrow-raising, to say the least – and raises more questions on whether TikTok will survive after the “ban” shifts to the next stage in the United States.

This is all happening as monster billion-dollar offers are being floated for the short-form juggernaut — at last count, we tallied ten possible bids once Elon confirmed his disinterest. In terms of the actual price tag, the highest whisper figure is close to $50 billion, though a bidding war could push the nose-bleeding higher.

Even MrBeast wants a piece of the action — but with so many high-dollar offers and interested billionaires, not to mention Trump snowplowing the lane to facilitate a deal, the obvious question lingers: Why hasn’t this thing sold, shifted into a joint venture, or otherwise transacted yet?

One obvious possibility is that ByteDance simply doesn’t want to sell, and they’re not playing this game. Go figure—not everyone likes taking orders from the United States and Trump, though a hard ‘no’ could torpedo the whole thing.

Which brings us back to Obermann, who might be jumping ship right before the hull hits the iceberg.

But — Apple Music? Some observers have been quick to point out that Obermann cuts a hostile profile towards creators and music IP owners — yet he’s now shifting to the very pro-creator Apple Music.

Maybe that image is unfair, though based on our conversations and canvassing, there’s plenty of lingering bad blood following Obermann’s TikTok tenure. During his five-plus years at the ByteDance wunderapp, Obermann oversaw two extremely high-profile royalty showdowns involving Universal Music Group and indie consortium Merlin. And those are just the hard-nosed highlights.

In the case of UMG, TikTok’s insultingly low royalty rates bubbled to the surface during the label’s pullout, with the hard-negotiating Obermann and team ByteDance refusing to budge until they were forced to.

In the case of indie labels, Obermann & Co. pushed out Merlin entirely while forcing take-it-or-leave-it deals on divided-and-conquered labels. Obermann somehow blamed the media for the resulting bad rap, but will indie labels’ resulting bad blood complicate future discussions at Apple, particularly if Obermann occupies a business development role?

Some are also pointing to a potentially big issue with UMG and Apple’s new recruit, as well as other content owners large and small — but let’s see how things shake out. Will Apple’s latest hire put a dent in its creator- and IP-friendly cred?

Shifting to the product front, what does this mean for Apple Music?

“Please don’t make Apple Music into TikTok,” you can hear every Apple Music subscriber plead, particularly those proudly outside the Z or alpha age ranges. Though perhaps a more sophisticated product strategy than just ‘TikTok-ification‘ is afoot.

Meanwhile, DMN Pro subscribers know that Apple Music is hot on the heels of Spotify when it comes to streaming subscriber dominance, especially with Spotify losing some serious momentum in the US in 2024. We’ll keep you posted on the emerging horse race — though Apple Music is now swinging for the fences after a massive Super Bowl Halftime sponsorship that clocked record viewership.

Case in point: Apple touted an aggressive $2.99-a-month deal for 6 months during that same record-setting Super Bowl LIX. Maybe 2025 is Apple Music’s year — though we’ll make some popcorn as this DSP battle-of-the-ages unfolds.

Photo Credit: Instagram

Instagram has introduced a huge update to functionality for direct messages (DMs) on the platform, adding the ability to translate, share music, schedule messages, and more. Here’s a peek at the changes.

The new message translation feature makes it possible to communicate with fans all over the globe without a language barrier. Translating a received message is as simple as holding down on the message and tapping ‘Translate.’ The newly translated message will appear in your language below the original message.

Another new feature is the ability to share music to DMs through the sticker tray. To share a song, open the sticker tray in the chat and tap ‘Music’ to begin searching for any song available in the Instagram audio library. Tapping on the track will send a 30-second preview of the song with a spinning vinyl featuring the album art.

Artists and creatives can now also schedule messages in DMs so they’re sent at the right moment. Schedule reminders for album drops or upcoming events so fans are instantly aware of new music and more. Scheduling a message in Instagram DMs is as simple as typing out the text message and holding down the send button. Select the date and time the message should be sent, and then tap ‘Send’ to schedule it.

Important messages can also be pinned at the top of DMs and group chats, so the information is readily available and not lost in the chat flow. Messages can be pinned by holding down on the message and tapping ‘Pin.’ The message will then appear at the top of the DM screen each time it is opened. Up to three messages can be pinned at the top of the screen. To unpin messages, just tap the message to be unpinned and select ‘Unpin.’

Finally, Instagram is making it easier for artists and creatives to add friends to a group chat. A personalized QR code for each group chat now exists. Instead of searching for a person and adding each one individually, users can share the personalized QR code so that whoever scans it instantly gains access to the chat. Admins of the group can refresh the QR code, so they retain control over who joins the group chat.

A breakdown of streaming music platform pricing, packages, and audio fidelity options for early 2025 (Click to enlarge; for full footnote annotations see full report; source: DMN Pro).

Can Spotify’s latest ‘super-premium’ tier break the streaming music plateau? In this report, we pick apart the rumored offerings within ‘Music Pro’ – and examine the serious challenges that each presents from both an execution and consumer adoption standpoint.

Spotify has been teasing a possible ‘super-premium’ tier for years, though nothing substantive has surfaced. Now, the latest intel indicates that Spotify is planning to release a superfan tier called ‘Music Pro’ that will include the following:

• • • Lossless, high-quality audio streaming.
    • AI-powered remixing tools allowing users to mix songs from different artists.
    • Exclusive concert ticket access, including early access or better seating options for shows.

Music Pro is expected to surface later this year with a price tag of $5.99 above existing Premium subscription rates (at least in the US). Sounds exciting, but given serious competition and overlapping features from platforms like Apple Music, will people pay for the added benefits?

Here’s a breakdown of Music Pro’s purported features themselves, and the challenges Spotify faces in building them.

Photo Credit: TikTok

After a mixed legacy, TikTok’s Head of Music Business Development Ole Obermann is reportedly leaving for Apple Music. Obermann oversaw TikTok’s music strategy for six years during a period of intense growth for the platform.

Tracy Gardner is expected to step into Obermann’s place as ByteDance’s new Global Head of Music Business Development. Gardner has been with TikTok since November 2019 as Head of Label Licensing & Partnerships. She previously held the position of Senior Vice President of Global Business Development at Strategy at Warner Music Group.

While Obermann oversaw TikTok’s music strategy during a period of meteoric growth, there are mixed sentiments about his strategy in the industry. He is regarded as hard-negotiating against IP owners and generally being creator-unfriendly. The UMG licensing dispute last year was a result of low royalty payments from the platform. Obermann also oversaw TikTok’s strategy of divide and conquer among independent Merlin members by refusing to collectively bargain with the collective.

“There was obviously a value conversation,” Obermann said of the UMG licensing dispute. “What are the payments that are happening, and also how much marketing and promotion can we provide to help with the discovery of new music or new artists that are priorities for them? So that was one thing we were wrestling over, and we ultimately got there.”

One move which helped get the dispute resolved is Taylor Swift putting her music back on TikTok, reportedly without UMG execs knowledge. Swift wanted her music on the platform ahead of the release of her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department. Swift is part of UMG’s roster, but she owns the rights to her recordings and songwriting rights—which are administered by UMG. The return of Swift’s music was a crack in the argument for UMG—resulting in their music re-appearing on the platform just weeks later.

Photo Credit: Lady Gaga for Rogue Artists / CC by 3.0

Lady Gaga pulled a rabbit out of her hat with her new single, “Abracadabra,” becoming the female artist with the most monthly listeners on Spotify.

On Tuesday, Lady Gaga surpassed Ariana Grande to become the female artist with the most monthly listeners on Spotify. As of February 18, she holds 123,736,959 monthly listeners on the streaming service, with only two artists — Bruno Mars and The Weeknd — ahead of her.

Previously, Ariana Grande held the record for the female artists with the most monthly listeners on the platform in December, when she took the crown from Taylor Swift. As of this week, Billie Eilish is both the second female artist with the most monthly Spotify listeners, and the fourth artist overall, at around 16 million monthly listeners behind Gaga.

Lady Gaga’s new reign comes hot on the heels of her duet with Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile,” continuing to dominate the charts. Her first No. 1 hit in over a decade, “Die With a Smile” held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, falling this week to No. 4. Unsurprisingly, the track was bumped by Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” “Luther,” and “TV Off,” following the rapper’s record-breaking performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Her latest solo track, “Abracadabra,” made it to No. 29 on last week’s Hot 100, while debuting in the top slot on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Pop Songs chart. Both it and “Die With a Smile” come from Gaga’s much-anticipated new album, Mayhem, due out on March 7 from Interscope.

In another hat trick, Lady Gaga was recently announced as both the host and musical guest on the March 8 episode of Saturday Night Live. The superstar helped celebrate the show’s 50th anniversary this past weekend, teaming up with SNL alum Andy Samberg to perform his Lonely Island hit “Dick in a Box.” She also gave a solo performance of “Shallow” from the 2018 version of “A Star Is Born,” in which she stars alongside Bradley Cooper in his directorial debut.

Photo Credit: Ashley King

Just shy of a month after the US government banned TikTok, the app has unexpectedly returned to the Apple App Store and Google Play.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to Apple assuring the company that it will not be fined under the current administration. The Biden administration’s TikTok ban contained a provision that would hold platform owners accountable for providing downloads of the app after January 19. With a hefty $5,000 fine attached for each download, neither Apple nor Google were willing to budge without assurances.

Both tech companies removed the app from their respective storefronts on January 19. Because Android allows sideloading of apps relatively easily, ByteDance made a version of TikTok that was able to be downloaded outside of Google Play. But the return of TikTok to Apple’s App Store means the ban might as well not even exist as iOS is by far the most popular mobile platform in the United States.

According to app data analytics firm Sensor Tower, around 52% of TikTok downloads last year came from the Apple App Store. Google Play was responsible for the other 48%—so the platform is easily split between both iOS and Android users.

Speaking about TikTok, President Trump said his 75-day deadline on TikTok finding a U.S. partner for sale could be extended—but he does not think it is necessary. He has assigned Vice President J.D. Vance and National Security Adviser Michael Waltz to lead a task force overseeing the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations.

A huge list of potential buyers has emerged in the last few weeks, with several signaling their interest in purchasing the social media app. Speaking about his order to create a sovereign wealth fund for the United States, President Trump said he could see TikTok becoming a part of that fund. With TikTok back in major app stores and available for download—this looming saga appears to have deflated like a flan in a cupboard.

Photo Credit: Debbie Rowe / CC by 4.0

Elon Musk says he’s not interested in a TikTok acquisition and is not part of any current acquisition offer of the platform.

Reuters reports that Musk’s comments were made in late January at a summit in which the Tesla CEO spoke about his intentions. “I have not put in a bid for TikTok,” Musk told attendees. “I don’t have any plans for what I would do if I had TikTok,” Musk adds. He stated that he does not use the short-form video app personally and was not familiar with the format.

“I’m not chomping [sic] at the bit to acquire TikTok, I do not acquire companies in general. It is quite rare. I usually build companies from scratch,” Musk said. It’s worth noting that Musk joined the Tesla company as an investor in 2003 after its founding by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. In 2007, Musk orchestrated a boardroom coup to oust the original founders. In 2008, with Tesla facing bankruptcy amid the ongoing financial crisis, Musk contributed $80 million to the company and named himself CEO.

Musk’s companies that he founded that are still functional include SpaceX, The Boring Company, Neuralink, and xAI.

Currently ByteDance is seeking to bypass restrictions on Apple and Google removing TikTok from their respective App Stores. The company recently made a version of TikTok that can be side-loaded on Android apps—where installing apps outside of the official Google Play channel is a relatively easy affair. The TikTok ban signed into law by President Biden includes a provision in which platform owners could be fined $5,000 per instance of download delivered.

President Trump has commented that he is in talks with multiple interested parties who are interested in acquiring TikTok. Trump ordered the creation of a sovereign wealth fund for the United States and commented that TikTok’s U.S. operations could become a part of that fund. Other investors including Frank McCourt, Kevin O’Leary, Steven Mnuchin, Perplexity AI and others have suggested plans to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations.

Photo Credit: Prince at Coachella 2008 by Scott Penner / CC by 2.0

Prince’s estate has officially pulled the plug on Ezra Edelman’s documentary about the late icon for Netflix, but plan to release their own instead.

The six part Prince documentary by filmmaker Ezra Edelman (“OJ: Made in America”) has been facing cancellation by the late icon’s estate since September, but now the project is officially dead in the water. Instead, the estate announced over the weekend that it’s planning to release its own documentary.

“The Prince Estate and Netflix have come to a mutual agreement that will allow the estate to develop and produce a new documentary featuring exclusive content from Prince’s archive,” reads the statement. “As a result, the Netflix documentary will not be released.”

The Edelman docuseries was said to have been nine hours long in six parts, and took the Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker five years to make. He had originally struck up a deal with the estate that allowed him access to the late artist’s archives for the project.

But the resulting series reportedly included accounts from Prince’s ex-girlfriends, including Jill Jones, accusing him of physical and emotional abuse. Ultimately, the estate would not allow the series to move forward, putting the project in limbo for months before it was shelved.

According to the estate, the final cut of that project included “dramatic factual inaccuracies” and a “sensationalized” depiction of Prince’s life. This, they said, was in violation of Edelman’s previous agreement with the estate.

“We’re excited to have the right to put a plan together, which is exciting for the fans and his legacy,” said L. Londell McMillan, co-manager of Prince Legacy LLC. “Thankfully, we were able to reach an agreement with Netflix.”

McMillan added that the estate’s documentary will be “an in-depth piece that explores the complexities of the brilliant musical genius.”

It’s currently unknown when the new documentary will be released, but it sounds like a deal with Netflix is still in place.

Photo Credit: WhiteHouse.gov

Despite reports of ByteDance slow-rolling the TikTok sale process, JD Vance has been placed at the head of a potential acquisition. Here’s what we know.

National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and VP JD Vance will lead the potential sale of the app, according to The Hill. President Trump tasked Vance with making a possible deal to prevent the shut down of the popular short-form video sharing app. Vance previously worked as a venture capitalize before running for Senate. He was behind investments for alternative media platforms like Rumble.

President Trump has promised to ‘save TikTok’ after a law banning the app was signed by former President Biden. One of his first official acts as President was to sign a 75-day stay on that ban in an effort to facilitate a deal that would see TikTok separated from its current Chinese ownership. Since then, Trump has ordered the creation of a sovereign wealth fund that could partially own TikTok in a deal.

ByteDance has long signaled that it is reluctant to sell the app’s U.S. operations to another entity. In fact, recent reporting suggests the Chinese government (CCP) would rather see the app shutter its U.S. operations entirely rather than find a buyer. Over the last few weeks, several potential buyers have emerged with bids ranging from hundreds of millions to billions. But the CCP is seeking broader concessions on trade and tech policy from the Trump administration before it considers a TikTok sale.

The app is used by more than 170 million Americans and was taken offline briefly ahead of the TikTok ban law going into effect. Despite still being available on the web, both Apple and Google have removed the app from their respective App Stores. That’s because the law contains a provision that would hold platform owners liable for any downloads of the app after January 19 to the tune of $5,000 per offense.

Photo Credit: Chappell Roan by Justin Higuchi / CC by 2.0

Chappell Roan responds to a music exec’s controversial op-ed criticizing her 2025 Grammys speech, challenging him to put his money where his mouth is.

Former music exec Jeff Rabhan’s controversial op-ed for The Hollywood Reporter — in which he criticized Chappell Roan’s Grammy acceptance speech calling for the music industry to offer artists a livable wage and healthcare — has gotten a response from the “Pink Pony Club” singer. In a series of posts to her Instagram Story, Roan challenged Rabhan to match her donation to struggling musicians.

“Mr. Rabhan, I love how you said ‘put your money where your mouth is.’ Genius! Let’s link and build together and see if you can do the same,” wrote Roan. “Wanna match me $25k to donate to struggling dropped artists?” she continued, tagging Rabhan specifically and using a screenshot of his op-ed as a backdrop. “My publicist is Biz 3 Publicity. Let’s talk.”

In another post, Roan told her fans she would “keep everyone updated on the much awaited” response from Rabhan, and that she’ll “show receipts of the donations.” She also shared a series of posts featuring artists who she feels “deserve more love and a bigger platform,” including Sarah Kinsley, Devon Again, hemlocke springs, and Baby Storme.

Chappell Roan took home the Grammy for Best New Artist at this year’s Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 2. She used her acceptance speech as an opportunity to advocate for change in the music industry.

“I told myself if I ever won a Grammy, and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels and the industry, profiting millions of dollars off of artists, would offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially to developing artists,” said Roan.

In response, Rabhan, former chair of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and the co-founder and CEO of “edutainment” platform Bored of Ed, penned a scathing op-ed piece for The Hollywood Reporter. In it, he criticized the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer for her “naivete” and “uninformed” take on the industry that made her a star.

The article sparked backlash from Roan’s fans and other musicians alike, including Halsey, who took to Instagram to call out Rabhan on what she called “bootlicking behavior.” Halsey also called out The Hollywood Reporter for publishing the piece, saying, “I hope you’re embarrassed of the absolute personal attack that you’ve ran and disguised as critical journalism. […] This is so far beneath the standard you should uphold as a publication.”

Meanwhile, SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland explains that artists signed to major labels do have health insurance options available to them through a deal labels signed with the union, called the National Code of Fair Practice for Sound Recordings. However, artists on a label’s roster have an exception for years where the income they generate may not meet eligibility requirements — a common issue facing upcoming artists.

Photo Credit: Jernej Furman / CC by 2.0

Who’s still in the running for consideration to buy TikTok? And will it even matter? Here’s an updated list of probable and interested parties.

Since Trump’s executive order extending the deadline by which ByteDance must divest TikTok or face a ban in the US, numerous parties have come out of the woodwork looking for a piece of the pie. But the mechanics of a potential sale are still up in the air — and that’s assuming TikTok’s China-based parent will even agree to sell.

ByteDance has been saying for years that selling TikTok is not an option, partly due to the Chinese government’s unwillingness to part with its proprietary algorithms. And it’s not even particularly clear if TikTok’s American investors are interested in a sale, regardless.

But the list of those interested in buying TikTok continues to grow, and Trump has dropped several hints about a potential bidding war and the hopes that the United States would own a portion of the app. Here’s what we know so far.

Who Wants to Buy TikTok?

Donald Trump has mentioned several interested parties by name in recent weeks, including Elon Musk, Microsoft, and Oracle. Notably, Microsoft, Oracle, and Walmart made an offer for TikTok back in 2020, but were shut down, especially since ByteDance has not shown any interest in selling.

Other offers include the People’s Bid for TikTok, which includes Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, and World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee. Tech entrepreneur Jesse Tinsley has also assembled a consortium of interested tech heavyweights which includes Roblox CEO David Baszucki and YouTuber MrBeast.

The People’s Bid for TikTok

• Offer Amount: $20 billion
• Participants: Frank McCourt, Kevin O’Leary, Tim Berners-Lee, “other investors”

Jesse Tinsley-assembled Consortium

• Offer Amount: “Significantly more” than $20 billion
• Participants: Jesse Tinsley (tech entrepreneur, Employer.com founder), David Baszucki (Roblox co-founder and CEO), Nathan McCauley (Anchorage Digital co-founder and CEO), MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson, YouTuber)

Elon Musk

• Offer Amount: None specified

Musk hasn’t even mentioned an interest in buying TikTok, but Trump has floated his name several times as a potential buyer whom he would support. Notably, Musk does ample business in China via Tesla, so the Chinese government may be more inclined to sell to him than another party, if at all.

Microsoft

• Offer Amount: None specified

Microsoft made an offer for TikTok alongside Oracle and Walmart back in 2020, but their continued interest in the platform is unknown. No one from Microsoft has shown interest in 2025, though President Trump keeps floating them as a potential bidder.

Oracle

• Offer Amount: None specified

Currently a key service provider for TikTok, managing and securing Stateside user data. The company’s name has been floated repeatedly as being in talks to purchase TikTok along with other parties — but Trump has refuted this, claiming Oracle chairman Larry Ellison would have told him if he were interested.

Perplexity AI

• Offer Amount: None specified

Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas has expressed interest in his company having a piece of the TikTok pie. The company aims to disrupt Google’s dominance in the search engine market and believe acquiring TikTok would serve to accomplish that.

Steven Mnuchin

• Offer Amount: None specified

Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC he started creating an investor group to purchase TikTok, but has offered no details about who may be in that group or how much their offer would be. He helped broker the deal in 2020 that would have seen Oracle, Walmart, and Microsoft purchase TikTok.

Bobby Kotick

• Offer Amount: “Hundreds of billions of dollars.”

The former Activision Blizzard CEO told The Wall Street Journal he approached ByteDance executive chair Zhang Yiming to express interest in a TikTok purchase. His incredibly high offer means he would need to assemble a massive team of partners to make it viable. He has suggested he would partner with someone like OpenAI’s Sam Altman, but whether this is actually in the works is unknown.

Meta

• Offer Amount: None specified

Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has shown interest in TikTok, though his company would likely face antitrust scrutiny if it were to buy the app. Rumors have swirled on social media that the company is engaged in a backdoor buyout of TikTok—though those remain rumors for now.

Alphabet/Google

• Offer Amount: None specified

Like Meta, Google has also shown an interest in acquiring TikTok. But like Meta, the company would also undoubtedly face antitrust scrutiny over such a purchase. Google’s former CEO Eric Schmidt said he looked at buying TikTok, but believes that the government should regulate the platform instead.

What Happens Next?

It’s unclear whether any attempts to buy TikTok will be accepted by ByteDance and the Chinese government. Further, it’s unknown whether a partial US-based TikTok ownership would actually solve the national security concerns that led Congress to pass the law banning TikTok in the first place.

The crux of the issue remains that any ties to the CCP could still require TikTok (or ByteDance) to hand over sensitive user data to the Chinese government. Similarly, concerns remain that the Chinese government could use the app to spread propaganda to US users. Currently, it’s not clear in what capacity the United States could become an owner or investor, even if ByteDance were willing to sell. One wrinkle in current Chinese law is that no algorithm can be sold or exported from the country—and TikTok’s success is built on its algorithm.

The law makes it illegal for companies to distribute TikTok in the US unless the platform is divested from ByteDance. The platform cannot maintain an operational relationship with any Chinese-owned or controlled company. Ultimately, efforts to divest the app could prove fruitless, especially if ByteDance and China remain firm in their stance that the platform cannot be sold.

As TikTok’s U.S. future hangs in the balance, Triller has announced $50 million in equity funding. Separately, the company is facing at least two new lawsuits. Photo Credit: Solen Feyissa

As TikTok’s U.S. fate hangs in the balance, the revamped Triller has scored a $50 million equity raise and announced another board appointment. Meanwhile, the company is also facing new lawsuits, one submitted by its former board chair.

Triller Group (NASDAQ: ILLR) disclosed its sizable round (and underscored its perceived status “as a fierce competitor” in the short-form world) in a formal release. By now, TikTok’s precarious stateside future, hinging on a sale, is far from a secret.

Less widely known, however, are the moves that the ByteDance-owned app’s Triller rival has been making as of late. After listing on the public market via a SPAC merger, the company in October 2024 announced a new CEO and made multiple board appointments as part of an ongoing “transformation journey.”

(For reasons that don’t appear to have been publicly disclosed, would-be Triller CEO, former Vevo president Kevin McGurn, ultimately failed to join the company. Wing-Fai Ng, who’s CEO of the entity with which Triller merged to arrive on NASDAQ, is currently leading Triller Group.)

The following month, Triller brought on former TikTok exec Sean Kim to head its namesake app – and kicked off 2025 by offering video backup for TikTokers.

In other words, the platform is looking to make waves in the video-sharing arena, and the corresponding plans will seemingly ramp up thanks to the initially mentioned equity raise.

That $50 million tranche derived from “a private placement with institutional investors,” according to Triller Group, which is touting the likes of Conor McGregor, The Weeknd, Marshmello, and Lil Wayne as backers.

More specifically, a company called KCP Holdings led the round; in a regulatory filing, Triller elaborated that it’d inked a deal to sell up to 6.36 million common shares to KCP at $2.20 apiece.

KCP’s founder, Roger Kennedy, is also set to join the Triller Group board. And Triller, evidently banking on continued download and usage results, has confirmed plans for “an additional fundraise… later this year.”

Closer to the present, higher-ups intend to use the newly obtained capital to develop “cutting-edge AI-driven tools,” improved livestream support, and an optimized “video editing suite,” the overarching Group relayed. (Pre-merger, Triller purchased Amplify.AI and different artificial intelligence assets, and certain AI features are already live.)

“At Triller,” added Triller Group CEO Wing-Fai Ng, “we’re not just building a platform—we’re leading a movement. Whether TikTok is banned or not has no bearing on our trajectory. With powerhouses like Conor McGregor and other global icons who champion our vision, we’ve created a platform that is designed to outlast TikTok and any other competitor.

“We’re not building our business around the failure of others; this seismic shift in social media is only the beginning of what’s to come,” he concluded.

Despite those remarks, it goes without saying that the short-form-video market leader’s abrupt shutdown would present new opportunities for rivals. Time will tell how the unprecedented situation unfolds and where exactly Triller finds itself in the space.

Worth reiterating in conclusion is the clear-cut importance of music on video-sharing apps, besides Triller’s historical licensing woes. Among the latter are legal battles involving Sony Music and Universal Music.

At present, some licensed music (including uploads from Megan Thee Stallion) is live on Triller. But the app’s clearance headaches aren’t entirely in the rearview. Anthem Entertainment fired off a redaction-heavy copyright complaint (25-00056) against Triller last month, for instance.

Separately, on top of a $35 million+ promissory note dispute, Triller saw board director Robert Diamond resign in mid-December. On January 7th, the Atlas Merchant Capital co-founder Diamond sued Triller (25-00129) for allegedly failing to pay him north of $5 million in purportedly due compensation as well as millions’ worth of company stock.

“Increasingly concerned regarding the trajectory of Triller and unable to access information necessary to the carrying out of his duties as a director,” the complaint reads in part, “Mr. Diamond was left with no choice but to resign from the Board of Directors, submitting his resignation letter on December 12, 2024.”

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock

After the court granted Spotify’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit brought by the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) in May 2024, the organization says it is evaluating all options—including appealing the decision.

“We continue to be concerned that Spotify’s actions are not consistent with the law, and that yesterday’s decision does not align with the facts and legal principles central to this action,” the MLC tells Digital Music News. “[The MLC] are reviewing the decision and evaluating all available options, including our right to appeal. We will keep you informed as we explore our next steps.”

Spotify’s bundling of audiobooks into its Premium Individual, Duo, and Family subscription plans are at the heart of the issue. Applying the rate formula applicable to bundled subscription offerings resulted in a reduction of the service provider revenue that Spotify reports, resulting in an underpayment of royalties. Digital Music News has kept diligent track of these reductions. In November 2024, DMN reported an estimated $100 million ‘saved’ by Spotify since shifting 98% of its subscribers to the ‘bundled’ option.

With the lawsuit successfully dismissed in court, Wall Street analysts are betting big on SPOT stock. KeyBanc raised the firm’s price target on SPOT to $600 from $555, based on subscriber, revenue, and margin momentum. KeyBanc also believes with the UMG deal renewed earlier than expected, Spotify will drive its revenue growth closer to its 20%+ target.

‘Bundled’ revenue is treated differently than revenue from music-only plans under the Phonorecords IV determination. 99% of Spotify’s U.S. subscriptions now fall under the ‘bundled’ designation. Amazon appears to be following Spotify’s example, adding audiobook to its Amazon Music Unlimited plan at no additional cost. The move suggests other DSPs are watching closely to see if they can move most of their subscribers to bundled plans for a significant cost savings for the DSP—and at detriment to publishers and songwriters.

Photo Credit: Bandcamp

Bandcamp has announced that it will donate 100% of its revenue share on February 7 to MusiCares to support wildfire relief efforts in LA.

MusiCares offers preventive, emergency, and recovery programs to those in the music community impacted by natural disasters. Bandcamp is partnering with A2IM, Harman, Lagunitas, Roland, Shure, Victrola, and WIN for the initiative. Their generous contributions amplify the fundraiser’s reach and help have maximum impact.

“Los Angeles is the hub of the music industry, and the wildfires have impacted every part of it, from musicians to producers to recording studios,” says Dan Melnick, General Manager of Bandcamp. “Bandcamp is proud to do our part to directly support musicians in LA, rallying the power of our community and music to help them rebuild.”

“This initiative is a testament to the power of collaboration in supporting the music community when it’s needed most,” adds Bryan Biniak, President of Songtradr—Bandcamp’s parent company. “At Songtradr, we believe in the vital role that platforms like Bandcamp play in ensuring artists can continue to create and thrive, especially in challenging times. This moment exemplifies that’s possible when the industry united to support the artists who shape our culture and bring music to the world.”

Bandcamp has long championed the healing power of music, making it simple for fans to support artists so they can continue creating. This mission comes to life through initiatives like Bandcamp Fridays, where the platform shares its revenue directly with artists. So far, Bandcamp has generated over $131 million for independent musicians and labels to date. Want to help out on February 7?

Here’s how:

• • For Artists | Add new music or exclusive merch to your Bandcamp store to inspire purchases. Share personal stories or behind-the-scenes content with your fans to encourage engagement.
  • For Fans | Purchase music, merchandise, or exclusive tracks from your favorite artists—or discover new ones on Bandcamp’s Discover page.

Bandcamp has also announced the rest of its Bandcamp Fridays days for 2025.

• • March 7
  • May 2
  • August 1
  • September 5
  • October 3
  • December 5

Photo Credit: Solen Feyissa

Will ByteDance accept a $25 billion offer for TikTok? American investors including the Founder of Employer.com, Roblox CEO David Baszucki, and Anchorage Digital’s Nathan McCauley are putting together a proposal. But ByteDance doesn’t seem interested at all.

Jesse Tinsley, Employer.com Founder says the group has secured ‘over $20 billion’ to make the buyout offer. The group includes David Baszucki, Nathan McCauley, who say their bid is much higher than the proposal put forward by Frank McCourt and Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary. Despite the offer, Tinsley confirms, “we have not heard back directly. It has been radio silence on their side.”

Tinsley says the investor group could help stabilize TikTok with an all U.S. backed team handling all of the “data and servers and technology.” Tinsley notes that YouTuber MrBeast is not exclusively signed on to this purchase deal. MrBeast’s spokesperson has confirmed that the personality is speaking with multiple parties about potentially purchasing the app.

Several potential buyers for TikTok’s American business have cropped up in the days since Trump signed a 75-day stay on the ban. But ByteDance has been reticent to engage with any offers as it views President Trump as the solution to its problems. But Trump has stated that he would like to see a ‘bidding war’ for TikTok’s U.S. operations before putting forth Microsoft and Oracle as potential buyers.

“I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture,” Trump wrote about the platform on his personal social media platform. But Republican Senators have been less forgiving now that the ban is in place. “Now that the law has taken effect, there is no legal basis for any kind of ‘extension’ of its effective date,” said Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE).

“For TikTok to come back online in the future, ByteDance must agree to a sale that satisfies the law’s qualified divestiture requirements by severing all ties between TikTok and Communist China.”

TikTok remains unavailable to download in the United States on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play. That’s because the language of the law would fine any tech company offering downloads of the app to the tune of $5,000 per violation. Both Apple and Google are playing it safe by keeping TikTok in a state of limbo. Those who have the app can continue to use it, but no new downloads have happened since January 19.

Photo Credit: Spotify

Ahead of his Super Bowl halftime performance, and amid his beef with Drake, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” crosses 1 billion streams on Spotify.

Kendrick Lamar’s chart-topping diss track, “Not Like Us,” has crossed 1 billion streams on Spotify — less than a year since its release. The timing couldn’t be better for Ken, who is less than a week from performing the Super Bowl halftime show. There, he intends to play the hit song, despite pressure to the contrary.

“Not Like Us” is one of several diss tracks Lamar dropped as part of his ongoing beef with Drake. Not only was the song one of the biggest hits of 2024, but it’s now at the center of a defamation lawsuit from Drake against Universal Music Group.

The parent label of both artists, UMG is accused of launching a campaign to create a viral hit out of the track, intended to push the “false factual allegation” that Drake is a pedophile. UMG has discounted the lawsuit as “ridiculous.”

Drake’s lawsuit initially launched as a petition back in November, which included not only UMG, but Spotify and iHeartRadio. But the latter companies were omitted as co-defendants ahead of the escalation into a lawsuit.

As a result of the legal kerfuffle, DMN sources indicated things would escalate for UMG should the NFL not prevent Kendrick Lamar from playing “Not Like Us” during the halftime performance. But between Lamar’s camp indicating he was going to play it anyway, and a promo from the NFL featuring the song, it’s become apparent that K. Dot is undeterred. And why not? He’s not the one facing a defamation lawsuit.

After the NFL teaser confirming “Not Like Us” would be played at the Super Bowl, Drake posted an uplifting message for his followers on his Instagram Story. Notably, the message does not react to the ad or mention Lamar whatsoever.

“Love to all the 6’ers,” he wrote. “Winter months are the toughest. Shit can be depressing, so take care of yourselves and try [to] show love to each other.” Drake added he would be “back in a flash,” and teased his upcoming joint album with fellow Canadian artist, PartyNextDoor.

Photo Credit: Instagram Reels

Meta is courting TikTok influencers hard, hoping to turn Instagram Reels into the go-to place for short-form video in the United States. Digital Music News first reported on Meta’s cash incentives last week—now Business Insider has seen the contracts.

The contracts range from $2,500 to $50,000 a month and required content posted to Instagram Reels to be exclusive for three months. Business Insider says it has viewed contracts and spoken with several talent managers who received these offers for their clients. They’ve requested anonymity, so we don’t know who received the offers—just that Meta is courting TikTok creators.

Not every contract offer is the same and Meta appears to be targeting creators who have already amassed a following of over one million on TikTok. Payouts were divided into tiers, with Tier 1 receiving $50,000 a month offers, Tier 2 receiving $25,000 a month offers, Tier 3 receiving $15,000 a month offers, Tier 4 receiving $5,000 a month offers, and Tier 5 receiving $2,500 a month offers.

“To try and change consumer behavior, or at least the perceived acceptance of consumer behavior, by stemming down another platform, I just don’t think is the right way of handling it,” one talent manager told Business Insider.

One offer to a creator was $300,000 for content created over six months. Creators would be required to post never-before-seen short-form video content on Instagram Reels. They would need to post at least 10 new Reels to their Instagram accounts each month and the content must be exclusive to Instagram for three months. Videos must be at least 15 seconds and no longer than three minutes—catering directly to short-form video watchers.

They must post 25% more content on Instagram Reels than anywhere else (TikTok, YouTube Shorts) and they must turn two reels a month into an Instagram Story. The contract also requires them to post twice a month on their primary platform, promoting Instagram Reels and encouraging their fans to follow them on the platform.

Not every TikTok influencer seems enamored with the high-monetary value of these contracts. Some called the deal ‘cheugy’ which is Gen Z slang for something that is cringe or gauche. “It’s not a good deal,” another manager speaking anonymously to BI said. “Having to track that you’re posting 25% more to Reels than TikTok makes this untenable.”

Meta has declined to comment on payments offered to TikTok influencers to jump ship to Instagram. Meanwhile, the TikTok ban is playing out slowly as the app remains missing from storefronts in the United States. President Trump has stated he wants to see a ‘bidding war’ for potential U.S. ownership play out.

Photo Credit: Ferrara Candy Co.

Shaboozey secures a Super Bowl ad spot with Nerds Gummy Clusters candy, following Addison Rae the previous year.

Shaboozey, the musician behind the hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” has secured a Super Bowl ad spot with Ferrara Candy’s Nerds Gummy Clusters. Like influencer Addison Rae in a Super Bowl ad featuring the 1983 song “Flashdance (What a Feeling),” last year, Shaboozey will snack on (and with) Nerds during a commercial break on February 9’s Super Bowl broadcast.

In a teaser, Shaboozey is seen snacking on a bag of Nerds Gummy Clusters while playing his guitar. But then a Nerds character appears and shares the stage with him. Shaboozey also contributed some of the ad’s music.

“As a kid, you know, obviously, we can’t keep our hands off the candy,” said Shaboozey. “You were always in the candy aisle, whether [your] parents wanted us to be there or not.”

Shaboozey says he used to spend Halloween “super excited to open up my bag” and see how many boxes of Nerds candy were inside. Now, with his Super Bowl ad, he may feel as if he’s returned to a childhood favorite.

Last year’s Super Bowl spot helped Nerds gain 4.3 percentage points in market share, says Greg Guidotti, Ferrara’s chief marketing officer. But the company believes this year it can win even more fans. The brand only has 25.1% penetration among households, according to Guidotti, so there’s a lot of work to be done.

Nerds will be competing against other well-known snacks at this year’s Super Bowl, with PepsiCo’s Doritos and Kellanova’s Pringles among the products with ads during this year’s game. The game will be broadcast on Fox on February 9, and the network has been seeking over $7 million for a 30-second ad.

Nerds hit the scene in 1983 — the same year as the song used in last year’s ad — as part of a line of candies marketed under the Wonka name. Ferrara acquired Nerds, as well as Laffy Taffy, SweeTarts, and Bottle Caps. The company also acquired Jelly Belly in 2023.

Photo Credit: Ashley King

With several companies and individuals proposed as a buyer for TikTok, President Trump says he would like to see a bidding war over the app. According to him, Microsoft is interested yet again.

If that sounds familiar it’s because Microsoft and Oracle were the original two U.S. companies put forth to buy TikTok’s U.S. operations in 2020. Microsoft offered to buy TikTok after Trump wanted the social media site banned, but ultimately that acquisition never happened. Oracle was also slated as a partner, but the deal never received CFIUS approval.

ByteDance generates just a small percentage of its revenue from TikTok (estimates place it between 6% to 10%). The company would also need permission from the CCP to sell this portion of its business. During a conversation in Davos last week, ByteDance director and General Atlantic CEO Bill Ford said conversations over selling TikTok couldn’t begin until Scott Bessent was confirmed as Treasury Secretary. That happened yesterday.

President Trump signed a 75-day stay on the TikTok ban, which requires the app to be unavailable to download. Both Apple and Google have removed the app from their respective storefronts to avoid incurring the ban’s $5,000 fines per instance of download. TikTok has stated several parties have shown interest in purchasing the social media app, but a Microsoft representative has refused to comment.

Speaking about TikTok, Trump said, “We’ll see what happens. We’re going to have a lot of people bidding on it. If we can save all that voice and all the jobs, and China won’t be involved, we don’t want China involved, but we’ll see what happens.”

YouTube star MrBeast has also revealed his interest in purchasing the platform, though it’s unclear if he’s serious or just memeing about news topics.

Photo Credit: Björk by Zach Klein / CC by 2.5

Björk comments on the world of streaming, calling Spotify “probably the worst thing that has happened to musicians.”

Björk is working the promotion circuit for the livestream of her concert film, Cornucopia, which debuted on Apple TV+ on Friday. In an interview with Swedish outlet Dagens Nyheter, she remarked on the world of streaming and her own approach to making new music.

The artist said she had never felt pressured to develop a tour just to generate income. Commenting on her process for developing new material, she said, “It is only in darkness that you can plant a new seed. For the seed to grow into a healthy and vigorous plant, you need privacy. You need a few years of no one knowing what you are doing, not even yourself.”

“Right now I’m more busy getting out all the ideas I have inside me [instead of touring]. I feel far from finished, and time is running out. What if I had to make 20 more albums? Given my pace, I’ll probably make five [more] at best before I die,” she said.

But she isn’t eliminating touring from her itinerary. “The live part is, and always will be, a big part of what I do. But I’m lucky because I no longer have to raise money on touring, which younger musicians are often forced to do,” she explained.

“In that respect, Spotify is probably the worst thing that has happened to musicians. The streaming culture has changed an entire society and an entire generation of artists.”

The comments echo her sentiment back in 2015, when she remarked upon her decision not to release her album Vulnicura, on Spotify. “It just seems insane, to work on something for two or three years and then just, ‘Oh, here it is for free.’ It’s not about the money; it’s about respect. Respect for the craft and the amount of work you put into it.”

Spotify has been at the center of numerous controversies in the music industry. Last year, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek sparked criticism for his comments about the cost of “creating content,” leading many musicians and Spotify users to call him “out of touch.”

More recently, the platform’s decision to bundle its offerings and slash the amount of royalties it must pay to creators saw songwriters boycotting Spotify’s planned Grammy-related events, which have since been cancelled. Spotify also hosted a brunch the day before Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, donating $150,000 to the ceremony.

Photo Credit: Solen Feyissa

Trump says he’s in talks with multiple parties over buying TikTok and will likely have a decision within 30 days to determine the app’s fate.

TikTok’s ultimate fate in the United States should be determined in the next 30 days, said President Trump on Saturday. The Trump administration is in talks with multiple parties interested in buying the app’s US operations, with software company Oracle appearing as the frontrunner.

Trump signed an executive order after being sworn in that grants TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with the law that requires a sale to a US company or face a ban. Since then, several parties have come forward with an interest in purchasing TikTok, including Elon Musk, YouTuber MrBeast, Kevin O’Leary, and Steven Mnuchin.

Over the weekend, Trump said his administration was working on a plan to save TikTok that involves tapping software company Oracle and a group of outside investors. Although Trump also said that Oracle was not part of the deal, sources familiar with the situation have said otherwise — but they note the terms involving Oracle are extremely fluid and likely to change.

“Numerous people are talking to me, very substantial people, about buying [TikTok], and I will make that decision probably over the next 30 days,” said Trump. The potential deal would see TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance retain a minority stake in the company. Meanwhile, the app’s algorithm, data collection, and software updates would be overseen by Oracle.

The deal being negotiated is expected to include participation from some of ByteDance’s current US investors, which may include Jeff Yass’ Susquehanna International Group, General Atlantic, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), and Sequoia Capital. Notably, sources say that neither O’Leary’s bid with the investor group led by Frank McCourt, nor YouTube star MrBeast, are involved in the negotiation with Oracle or ByteDance’s US backers.

“The goal is for Oracle to effectively monitor and provide oversight with what is going on with TikTok,” said a source directly involved in the negotiations in a comment to NPR. “ByteDance wouldn’t completely go away, but it would minimize Chinese ownership.”

But Oracle isn’t the only entity working with the US government to reach an agreement to buy TikTok. On Sunday, Perplexity AI revised the merger proposal it had submitted to ByteDance, which would see the AI company combined with TikTok’s US operations to create a new entity, currently called “NewCo.” Perplexity’s revised offer would now allow for the US government to own up to 50% of the new company upon a future IPO.

Music startups have crashed across nearly every category, DMN Pro data reveals (Photo: DMN Pro/Digital Music News)

Splashy funding announcements are extremely common in the music industry. But what happens to startups after they exit the media spotlight? It’s not always pretty.

When it comes to startup success, getting the big funding round is just the beginning. Unfortunately for many startups, it’s also the beginning of the end — with a brutal crash, hard pivot, or other unfortunate ending emerging just a few years later.

So how many promising music startups have crashed in the past few years? For our latest Weekly Report, we scoured our database to find out.

Dialing it back to 2020, DMN Pro found more than $320 million in burned cash, with little to show for it. Many of those came from flash-in-the-pan categories like NFTs, though surprising, crashed startups hailed from a wide number of different sub-sectors.

Data was pulled from DMN Pro’s Music Industry Funding Tracker, which is available to all subscribers. Here’s a closer look at the carnage.

Please note: this report is for DMN Pro subscribers only. Please do not redistribute. Thank you!

Photo Credit: Weverse

Hybe’s social platform Weverse saw a 19% increase in users in 2024, thanks to superstars like Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, and Megan Thee Stallion.

Hybe’s social platform for superfans, Weverse, has already been crushing it in the K-pop space, but 2024 saw an impressive uptick in use in North America. That’s in no small part due to artists like Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Megan Thee Stallion, and Conan Gray, who joined the platform last year.

The platform saw a 19% increase in users in 2024 as a result, as well as a 13% increase in physical and digital merchandise transactions. Users in both the US and Canada increased by 16%, with strong growth elsewhere too — Brazil (21%), Mexico (14%), Japan (22%), and Taiwan (54%). The growth follows Hybe’s global expansion, branching outside K-pop groups.

According to Joon Choi, Weverse President, 2024 was a “transformative year” for the company, expanding the platform’s artist communities, fan engagement, and commerce activities. “Weverse remains committed to innovating its services to meet the evolving needs of artists and fans, solidifying its position as the center of global fandom culture,” said Choi.

Weverse launched in 2019 as a platform for music industry superfans. Last year, it introduced a subscription tier to provide ad-free viewing, video downloads for offline access, high-quality streaming, and language translation. “Digital membership, we believe, is the very first cornerstone of the future evolution of Weverse,” the company told Billboard in December.

What sets Weverse apart from other social networks is its e-commerce solutions. Through its shop, Weverse sold 20.6 million pieces, a 13% increase from 2023. Physical merchandise like albums and collectibles saw a 10% increase, while digital merchandise like artist memberships and online content saw a 24% increase, with 3.4 million sold.

Aside from Weverse’s home market of South Korea, the US and Japan were the top markets for the platform in terms of merchandise. Top-selling digital items include artist memberships, such as BTS ARMY and SEVENTEEN’s CARAT memberships.

Photo Credit: YouTube (MrBeast)

TikTok finds itself in Penelope’s position now—suitors are lining up to buy the social media site as it remains missing from the App Store and Google Play. Without a suitable buyer, American tech companies face big fines if the app returns.

One of those suitors is Jimmy Donaldson—better known as MrBeast to the younger cohort who watch his YouTube videos in droves. Bringing the sport of ‘philanthro-tainment’ to the masses bread and circuses style, Donaldson tweeted on January 13 saying he wanted to “buy TikTok so it doesn’t get banned.” The following day, he said several billionaires had reached out to him to make it a possibility.

Earlier this week Digital Music News reported on an investor group looking to buy TikTok’s U.S. operations in an all-cash offer. The effort is led by Jesse Tinsley, but Jimmy Donaldson is also named as part of the effort. A spokesperson for the MrBeast channel said Donaldson has not been part of any formal bid yet. “Several buyers are holding ongoing discussions with Jimmy,” Matthew Hiltzik told the Associated Press. “He has no exclusive agreements with any of them.”

The federal ban signed by President Biden in April 2024 was upheld by the Supreme Court last week. Despite President Trump signing an executive order giving TikTok 75 days to find a buyer, Apple and Google are not budging on bringing the app back to their storefronts. That’s because the law is written such that any downloads after January 19 could incur a $5,000 fine per download.

Meanwhile, billionaire Frank McCourt said his Project Liberty consortium would be comfortable sharing ownership of the app as long as it’s hosted on tech developed by his non-profit. McCourt’s condition would require TikTok to run on Decentralized Social Networking Protocol, DSNP, which is overseen by the Project Liberty Instititute. McCourt has been critical of the way advertising operates on the internet, targeting users based on past browsing data collected from devices.

TikTok’s owner ByteDance is looking for a way to keep TikTok running in the United States without having to sell it. “We are optimistic we will find a solution,” said ByteDance board member Bill Ford while speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “There are a number of alternatives we can talk to President Trump and his team about that are short of selling the company that allow the company to continue to operate, maybe with a change of control of some kind—but short of having to sell.”

Photo Credit: Ashley King

ByteDance restored TikTok service in the United States on Sunday night, but major tech companies like Apple and Google have yet to restore downloads of the app. With no way to update TikTok, app rot may soon set in.

Users who deleted the TikTok app during the outage over the weekend are now unable to re-download it from either Apple’s App Store or Google Play. Google Play is currently promoting Instagram at the top of its social media category, while RedNote and BlueSky sit at the top of the App Store.

President Trump signed an executive order delaying the enforcement of the TikTok ban by 75 days. But tech giants are still not allowing ByteDance apps to be restored. Apple has posted a notice about the ban on their official support site listing the apps that have been removed due to the ban. They include Lemon8 and CapCut, both owned by subsidiaries of ByteDance. Other apps that are unavailable include TikTok, TikTok Studio, TikTok Shop Seller Center, CapCut, Lemon8, Hypic, Lark – Team Collaboration, Lark – Rooms Display, Lark Rooms Controller, Gauth: AI Study Companion, and Marvel Snap.

The law that President Biden signed banning TikTok would impose fines on Apple and Google if the app is available for download after January 19. Those fines are $5,000 for each user granted access to the app—which explains why the tech companies are refusing to allow downloads despite the Trump executive order. The TikTok ban law also has a five-year statute of limitations, which means the president after Trump could enforce any violations of the law.

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) spoke about companies allowing access to TikTok. He’s the chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and stated that “any company that hosts, distributes, services, or otherwise facilitates communist-controlled TikTok could face hundreds of billions of dollars of ruinous liability.”

Users who already have the app on their devices can continue to use it, but ‘app rot’ may prevent that in the future. Without the ability to update TikTok over time, the user experience could significantly degrade. No new features, bug fixes, or performance improvements can be made available without an App Store presence.

Photo Credit: Spotify

The weekend before President Donald Trump’s inauguration saw Spotify hosting a brunch with Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro, Riley Green, and others. The event was meant to highlight the power of podcasters during this election. YouTube did something similar.

Sweden’s Dagens Nyheter highlighted that Spotify donated $150,000 to the inauguration ceremony and celebration. That donation is peanuts compared to Apple, Amazon, Meta, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Uber each donating $1 million to the inaugural committee.

Spotify’s statement about the donation says “the donation aims to continue to expand our presence in Washington D.C. while furthering the goals of our platform and our creators. It is in line with the work we do in capitals around the world to advance our policy issues, regardless of who is in power.”

Meanwhile, the night before the inauguration several influencers celebrated their victory in helping Trump assume office for a second time. The event was sponsored by TikTok and was called the Power 30 to celebrate the right’s cultural victory. The event took place at the Sax, a club with garish decor only a few blocks away from the White House.

“I wanted to recognize the people who paved the way for the presidents return to the White House,” says CJ Pearson, Co-Chair of the RNC’s Youth Advisory Council and host of the party sponsored by TikTok. “We won the influencer election in 2024. We won one of the most important battles, one of the longest standing culture wars of our time.”

Trump’s appearances on popular podcasts like The Joe Rogan Experience and Theo Von helped him reach millions. (Harris was invited onto TRE but declined to participate.) Those podcast appearances helped tip the balance for Trump, who was ushered into his second term thanks largely to these grassroots efforts—which YouTube CEO Neal Mohan acknowledges.

“One of the best parts about my job is actually getting to spend time with our YouTube Creators, because they really do set the culture,” Mohan said in a statement after YouTube’s creator event on Sunday night. “They are experimenting with new ideas in the media landscape, and it was amazing to have a front row seat this past year.”

Photo Credit: Ashley King

A new report suggests Napster is behind on royalty payments to major distributors and record labels. Some say Napster is a few months behind schedule; others say they’re behind more than a year.

A new report from Billboard suggests the now-legal streaming service isn’t making royalty payments to distributors and record labels. “For years, they have cited fundraising struggles as an excuse for delayed royalty payments,” one executive at a distributor told Billboard anonymously. When asked for a comment on the report, Napster CEO Jon Vlassopulos declined to comment.

Napster is a small-time player in the world of music streaming. Rights holders who spoke to Billboard confirmed the payments received in the past from the digital service provider (DSP) have accounted for less than 1% of their overall streaming income. “What we earn from it as a distributor isn’t that much, but in terms of payouts to the artists and the labels who we represent, it can be a solid sum of money,” said another executive.

The current iteration of Napster was bought by Rhapsody and transformed from a pirate download service into a music streaming service. Rhapsody rebranded itself under the Napster name in 2016. Then in 2020, the virtual reality concert app MelodyVR purchased Napster for $70 million. In 2022, the company changed hands yet again with Hivemind Capital Partners and cryptocurrency Algorand becoming the new owners.

Napster CEO John Vlassopulos was brought in the same year after serving as the Head of Music at Roblox. As rights holders say they are struggling to get paid, they’re considering removing their catalogs from Napster or refusing to deliver new releases to the DSPs. The only other option is litigation for missed royalty payments, but those costs would eat into any sum recovered.

“Not only have they failed to pay royalties, but they have also been unresponsive when we’ve attempted to resolve these matters,” another executive speaking with Billboard confirmed.