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Global recorded music revenues hit $31.7B in 2025, up 6.4% YoY

Figures released today (March 18) in IFPI’s Global Music Report 2026 show that global recorded music revenues grew by 6.4% YoY in 2025 – an improvement on the 4.7% rate of growth posted in 2024 — marking the global industry’s eleventh consecutive year of growth. Paid subscription streaming revenues increased 8.8% YoY and accounted for more than half — 52.4% — of global revenues. IFPI reports that there are now 837 million users of paid streaming subscription accounts globally.

Source: Global recorded music revenues hit $31.7B in 2025, up 6.4% YoY

Lyor Cohen letter addresses AI integration at YouTube

Lyor Cohen, YouTube‘s Global Head of Music, says the platform’s mission for the year ahead is to “help artists and songwriters harness the power of visual storytelling to build their global audiences and lifelong careers.” The exec made the comments in his first letter to music industry partners of 2026, outlining the platform’s strategic priorities for the year ahead. outlining the platform’s strategic priorities for the year ahead.

Source: Lyor Cohen letter addresses AI integration at YouTube

Is this product ‘human-made’? The race to establish an AI-free logo

Organisations worldwide are racing to develop a universally recognised label for “human-made” products and services as part of the growing backlash against AI use. Declarations like “Proudly Human”, “Human-made”, ‘”No A.I” and “AI-free” are appearing across films, marketing, books and websites. BBC News has counted at least eight different initiatives trying to come up with a label that could get the kind of global recognition that the “Fair Trade” logo has for ethically made products.

Source: Is this product ‘human-made’? The race to establish an AI-free logo

Tidal Offers Direct-to-Fan Downloads with a 90/10 Split—In Direct Competition to Bandcamp

Music streaming platform Tidal now allows independent artists to sell digital downloads directly to fans, bypassing the traditional distribution route at a flat 10% fee—and coming directly for Bandcamp’s lunch. Most digital service providers (DSP) pay pennies per stream, but taking a direct-to-fans (D2F) sales approach offers a much more appealing option, especially for smaller or independent artists.

Source: Tidal Offers Direct-to-Fan Downloads with a 90/10 Split—In Direct Competition to Bandcamp

Is Suno the Music Industry’s Biggest Nightmare — or Greatest Hope?

Many have compared Suno, and the rise of generative AI music in general, to Napster’s launch at the turn of the century, which upended album sales and led to the darkest financial decade in recorded-music history. Suno could disrupt music consumption, like Napster and Spotify once did. But it’s also doing something different: disrupting the sacred act of creation itself.

Source: Is Suno the Music Industry’s Biggest Nightmare — or Greatest Hope?

New AI licensing scheme to help smaller publishers strike deals with platforms

A new collective licensing scheme for the “fair and lawful” use of content in AI products has launched in the UK. The project is being led by non-profit organisation Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS) and is open to all types of small and large content publishers including magazines, digital news media, books and academic publications (whether they are currently PLS members or not).

Source: New AI licensing scheme to help smaller publishers strike deals with platforms

UMG boss sees AI as more than just a risk for media industries

UMG’s earnings call included some interesting nuggets on the company’s AI strategy, including chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge delivering a carefully-tuned message to investors. “I’m very aware that a large swath of the investment community looks at the intersection of AI and media and sees only some of the risks,” he said. “I want to be very clear, we fundamentally disagree with that view. We believe AI represents an unprecedented commercial opportunities for UMG and our artists.

Source: UMG boss sees AI as more than just a risk for media industries

WNYC and the Internet Archive Invite Musicians to ‘Reimagine the Public Domain’

Artists of any level are encouraged to “adapt, remix, or reimagine works published in 1930 or earlier.” Selected submissions will featured by WNYC and preserved in the Internet Archive’s digital library, where they’ll become part of a permanent, publicly accessible collection. Besides its legal concept, the public domain is a resource ripe for creative inspiration.

Source: WNYC and the Internet Archive Invite Musicians to ‘Reimagine the Public Domain’

‘YouTube Economics Are Challenging For Broadcasters,’ BBC Says

The BBC may have struck what it described as a landmark YouTube deal this year but it sees little commercial opportunity on the Google-owned behemoth. In its charter review consultation response today, the corporation said “we do not envisage a major commercial upside” to making more YouTube-first shows “due to the limited revenues on offer from video sharing platforms.”

Source: ‘YouTube Economics Are Challenging For Broadcasters,’ BBC Says

Audible launches a cheaper ‘Standard’ subscription plan, challenging Spotify

Audible is rolling out a cheaper “Standard” subscription plan that costs $8.99 per month, the Amazon-owned company announced on Tuesday. The new plan is $6 cheaper than the platform’s existing “Premium” plan, which costs $14.95 per month. The Standard plan includes one audiobook per month from Audible’s catalog and unlimited listening from a curated library that includes a selection of Audible Originals.

Source: Audible launches a cheaper ‘Standard’ subscription plan, challenging Spotify

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