SoundCloud is on the verge of confirming a landmark licensing deal with Universal Music Group, according to sources close to the digital platform speaking in confidence to MBW. The agreement comes after months of intense negotiation talks between the two parties – and it appears that Universal has ended up in a position of strength….

Earlier this month, sources pointed Digital Music News to significant changes ahead in Spotify’s ad-supported, ‘freemium’ offering, specifically the introduction of a premium-only access tier for certain artists and releases.  Now, on-the-record comments from Universal Music Group chief executive Lucian Grainge lend support to that information….

“I have a few things up in the air,” downplays Jesse Ignjatovic, 46, executive producer of the MTV Video Music Awards, two weeks ahead of the curtain rising at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theatre. The Aug. 30 event marks the last time MTV veteran Van Toffler, who officially exited as president of the network in April, toplines the…

Swaggering into theaters across North America, Straight Outta Compton beat all expectations, grabbing an estimated $56.1 million — and leaving The Man from U.N.C.L.E., the weekend’s other new wide release, which pulled in a meager $13.5 million, in its dust….

Straight Outta Compton, Universal’s biopic about groundbreaking hip-hop group N.W.A, showed real muscle at the Friday box office, opening to an estimated $24.2 million in 2,754 North American theaters. Easily claiming the top spot for the day, the drama, the latest in a string of 2016 hits from Universal, is now on track to blow…

  A family dispute over the estate of guitarist Jimi Hendrix has been settled. The Seattle Times reports that the July settlement between Hendrix’s adopted sister, Janie Hendrix, and his brother, Leon Hendrix, was announced this week….

Spotify communications head Jonathan Prince tweeted the above about our newest conversation with UMG head Lucian Grainge. In the piece, Grainge explores the nuances of the streaming landscape while reiterating that ad-supported, on-demand free streaming is not a sustainable model on its own….

As more artists become aware of how detrimental pirated user content on YouTube can be to their livlihoods they are, with increasing frequency, using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act as a means to shut down infringing accounts….

Are music festivals too popular for their own good? While the recorded music industry remains tumultuous, the popularity of outdoor music festivals only continues to grow, to the point where finding enough big name artists to act as headliners has become a challenge….

Does promotion often feel like pulling teeth? Has it been hard for you to get people to share your music? If so, continue reading. We’re about to clear things up for you. The truth is, paying for promotion and getting your music on bigger outlets can do wonders for your career. HOWEVER, your core fan…