In Praise of Peter Katsis, the Firm, and the Loudest, Wildest Era in Rock Music We were built for ripping the doors off the hinges, in a…
Author: Rich Esra
AI Music: Coming of Age. Why the Next Music Revolution May Be Bigger Than Napster AI music has entered a new phase. Major record companies that initially…
The false premise that’s killing independent music What I found was something scientists recognize when examining a problem from a different angle or lens: a field operating…
AI Music Is An Abomination – It’s Time We Stop Normalizing It If everyone is using generative AI music creation tools and it is so ubiquitous, then…
Niche is the new mainstream: Marketing in an AI-saturated social landscape Social feeds are saturated with content – both original and AI-powered. In this competitive attention landscape,…
Electronic music is 2026’s fastest-growing genre in the US, report finds Data from Luminate’s 2026 midyear report published earlier this month shows dance music outpaced every other…
You're Invited: Ghost Rocket's 15th Anniversary Industry Party — All On Us Artist Management firm Ghost Rocket is having their 15th anniversary as a company this month.…
The Music Industry Is Full of Advice on How to Make It. Almost None of It Is About What Happens Next. If you've spent any time trying…
We are entering the age of intentional music listening As music streaming platforms continue to be flooded with a paralyzing amount of new releases, a small but…
The Music Industry Didn’t Get Flooded by Accident We removed the gatekeepers, built tollbooths, and called it "access." No wonder the system keeps failing those who power…
The Trends Defining Music, Culture & Brand Marketing in 2026 The music industry is having a big problem when it comes to breaking new music. New music has…
Majors and BMG ask US Supreme Court to overturn copyright termination ruling they say will cause ‘chaos’ The major music companies and BMG have asked the US…
The music industry’s personalization paradox While algorithms have made discovery easier than ever, they've also flattened fandom and reduced music's sense of ownership, identity, and reward. MIDiA…
The audience the industry can't see So this piece is an attempt at naming. We present three concepts, with each one doing different work. Together, we hope…
The renewed value of maximalism in the era of AI The attention economy has become saturated with content that is efficient, optimized, and increasingly synthetic. As AI…
UMG spends $290M buying back stock from Bill Ackman's Pershing Square – amid fund’s exit from music company Universal Music Group has bought back EUR €250 million…
How will the major labels overcome the copyright threat from AI music? By turning to the most powerful weapon available: AI itself. In five years, the major…
Independence isn’t dead; it’s just evolving Symphonic's Director of Business Development shares why too many indie artists and labels rely only on themselves and why building teams…
Below belief The core power that improves everything — and doesn't need your faith to work. But this isn’t about a belief system. Freedom isn’t shackling yourself…
How music fans are becoming parallel creators (sustainably) A Taylor Swift fan account run by 26-year-old Olivia Levin is now her full-time job—and it pays. Is this…
POTIFY AND UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP ANNOUNCE LANDMARK LICENSING AGREEMENTS FOR FAN-MADE COVERS AND REMIXES Groundbreaking responsible AI tool to launch as paid add-on for Spotify Premium users…
Art & ownership Thoughts on Copyright - Once a song installs itself in your head, it no longer feels like someone else’s. It becomes part of you.…
The complicated relationship between hit songs and longevity This exclusive excerpt from Keith Jopling's book "Riding The Rollercoaster" (Penguin / Random House) confronts the changing nature of…
How AI-generated music became a $4 billion fraud machine Looking back, Deezer became the first streaming platform to independently detect and tag AI-generated music at the platform…