Music Business Worldwide

Spotify rival Anghami receives take-private offer from its controlling shareholder

Mandy Dalugdug — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 17:42:04 +0000

OSN Streaming is proposing to buy each ordinary share it does not already own in Anghami for $3.39 in cash, which would cost a little over $10 million.

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Latin Music star Ricardo Montaner sues Universal Music over masters to five albums

Mandy Dalugdug — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:04:52 +0000

The Argentine-Venezuelan singer filed suit in both the US and Venezuela, alleging that UMG is claiming to own five albums he recorded from 1986 to 1992.

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Michael Jackson movie overtakes ‘Oppenheimer’ as biggest biopic ever… with $1 billion in sight

Mandy Dalugdug — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:42:31 +0000

The film now stands as the biggest release in Lionsgate's history, ahead of 2013's "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," which grossed $865 million.

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Artists First launches Music Division led by Carmen Murray

Mandy Dalugdug — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:29:31 +0000

Murray will help establish and guide the company's music strategy and develop opportunities across music, sports, branding, IP and partnerships.

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Live Nation applauds Illinois ban on speculative ticket sales, as state outlaws junk fees, ticket-buying bots

Mandy Dalugdug — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:57:33 +0000

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed a new law banning junk fees, ticket-buying bots and the resale of tickets that sellers don't yet possess.

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Merlin appoints former Downtown exec Harmen Hemminga as VP, Business Development

Mandy Dalugdug — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:33:09 +0000

Hemminga joins Merlin from Downtown Music, where he most recently served as VP Product & Services Strategy.

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UK collection org PPL paid out $108M to performers and recording rightsholders in Q2 2026

Rafaela Fornitani — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:29:48 +0000

Almost 4,500 of those performers and recording rightsholders are receiving a payment from PPL for the first time.

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Viberate opens music data to ChatGPT, Claude and other AI bots via official MCP server launch – amid ‘AI-first pivot’ for analytics company

Murray Stassen — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 08:52:32 +0000

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) lets AI agents connect to outside data sources and act on them

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TikTok turns Madonna’s Confessions II launch into a global LIVE event, two physical pop-ups, and an in-app fan hub

Rafaela Fornitani — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 08:27:11 +0000

The centerpiece is the "iHeartRadio and TikTok LIVE Premiere with Madonna," streaming on July 2 from the album's release party in London.

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South Korea’s FTC opens probe into HYBE and ADOR over NewJeans’ Danielle

Mandy Dalugdug — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 18:20:04 +0000

Danielle's attorney, Jung Jong-chae, who filed the complaint, said the FTC began investigating on June 4.

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