Spotify’s Payments to the Music Industry Nearing $40 Billion

Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy has announced the postponement of his upcoming David Bowie tribute tour with guitarist Adrian Belew.Murphy’s team took to social media to announce that the ‘Celebrating David Bowie’ shows – originally announced for April – are being pushed back to October and November after the singer had to undergo an “unexpected medical procedure”. While details surrounding the procedure remain unknown, his team said that it “prohibits his ability to travel as planned”.Peter Murphy is reportedly “recovering well, will fully recover, and be ready to tour the US with the group this Fall.”A list of rescheduled tour dates and newly announced shows was also revealed.

Following a turbulent few months - which have seen her call time on her relationship with Love Island boyfriend Teddy Soares after 18 months together - Faye Winter has some exciting plans in the pipeline. As well as admitting she's had "so much going on" and has "work-related things to look forward to", the 27-year-old reality star isn’t going to let her single status dictate her hopes of starting a family of her own, as she opens up about her determination to become a mum. Asked how she’d like to see the next few months pan out, Faye says: "Personally, I want to start my journey of freezing my eggs and giving myself some time to fall in love with this new life.

It’s Monday, and your daily forecast can help you tackle any challenges the new week brings - so what lies in store for you today? There are 12 zodiac signs - Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces - and the horoscopes for each can give you the lowdown on what your future holds, be it in work, your love life, your friends and family or more. These daily forecasts have been compiled by astrologer Russell Grant, who has been reading star signs for over 50 years. From Aries through to Pisces, here's what today could bring for your horoscope - and what you can do to be prepared.

A Wishaw woman is aiming to raise thousands of pounds to get a new wheelchair for her sister who has lost both legs.

Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin insists Dan O'Reilly's red card HELPED them win the SPFL Trust Trophy final.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Japanese animation film “Suzume” made just shy of $50 million on its opening weekend in mainland Chinese theaters. Data from consultancy Artisan Gateway, shows “Suzume” grabbing the top spot at the box office with $49.6 million (RMB342 million) between Friday and Sunday. That is the biggest opening score by any film this year outside of the Chinese New Year holiday week in late January. The next best is “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” which opened with $19.4 million in mid-February. Directed by Shinkai Makoto, “Suzume” was a hit in Japan where it was released late last year and has remained on screens for a $105 million total. It played in February at the Berlin Film Festival, where it came away largely empty-handed, but has subsequently performed strongly in the Asian territories where it has released. (In South Korea, where it is now the second highest grossing film released in 2023, its third weekend is its strongest to date.)

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor The entertainment business is filled with polymaths, but this week’s “Strictly Business” podcast guest, Evan Bogart, is a rarity even by its standards: He’s a songwriter of hits for Beyonce, Rihanna, Lizzo and others; owner of the large publishing company Seeker Music; chair of the Recording Academy’s new songwriters and composers wing; and not least, son of the late, legendary Neil Bogart, founder of the 1970s powerhouse Casablanca Records, which brought the world Kiss, Donna Summer, Parliament-Funkadelic and the Village People. Neil is the subject of “Spinning Gold,” a biopic directed and written by Evan’s older brother Tim, for which Evan is executive music producer, and which comes out March 31.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Clipse (a.k.a Pusha T and No Malice), Grace Jones, Lil Wayne, Skrillex, Lil Uzi Vert, Mumford & Sons, Lil Yachty, Summer Walker and more top the lineup for Pharrell Williams’ Something in the Water festival, returning to Virginia Beach from Friday, April 28 – Sunday, April 30. Presented by Walmart and produced by IMGoing and Live Nation, the full lineup is 100 Gecs, Aminé, Ayra Starr, Babyface Ray, BadBadNotGood, Black Sherif, CHIKA, Clipse, Coi Leray, d4vd, Doechii, Feid, FLO, Flo Milli, gigi, Grace Jones, Jay Pharoah, Jazmine Sullivan, Jessie Murph, Kamasi Washington, KayCyy, Kaytranada, Kehlani, Kenny Beats, Kid Cudi, Kitty Ca$h, Latto, Lil Durk, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty, Machine Gun Kelly, Maren Morris, Masego, Mumford & Sons, Nile Rodgers & Chic, NLE Choppa, Polo G, Remi Wolf, Riovaz, Saucy Santana, Skrillex, Summer Walker, SWV, The Kid Laroi, UMI, Wale, Weston Estate, Wet Leg, Wu-Tang Clan, Yendry, Yvngxchris and Pharrell’s Phriends. Tickets are available now.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor In a move that signals the unexpected strength of the vinyl market, Metallica has acquired a majority interest in one of the largest vinyl pressing companies in the U.S. —  Furnace Record Pressing, a leading provider of high-quality vinyl records and related services. The acquisition formalizes a long-standing relationship between the band and the company, which has produced more than five million pieces of Metallica vinyl since 2014. The projects include the deluxe boxed-set editions of Metallica’s “Kill ‘Em All,” “Ride the Lightning,” “Master of Puppets,” “…And Justice for All,” “S&M2” and self-titled albums.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Pink Floyd’s proposed $500 million sale of the rights to their iconic five-decade, multiplatinum recorded-music catalog is “basically dead” because the surviving bandmembers “just can’t get along,” four sources close to the situation tell Variety — however, sources close to the band insist that it’s not. “You could say the deal is no longer ‘active,’” one of the four sources says. “But at the same time, it’s still on the table. It’s a strange situation!” It’s par for the course with this long-running and contentious proposed deal, which sees Roger Waters and David Gilmour, the two long-feuding principals of one of the most critically and financially successful acts of the rock era, taking public potshots at each other while simultaneously trying to find enough common ground to close a deal sources say could reach a half-billion dollars.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Amazon Music has announced the launch of two new weekly flagship music series: the hip-hop-focused “Rotation Roundtable” and the Latin/pop culture show “La Semanal Live.” “Rotation Roundtable,” premiering March 15, comprises a hybrid Twitch livestream and 90-minute podcast experience inspired by Amazon Music’s “Rap Rotation” and “R&B Rotation” playlists. It is hosted by journalist and executive producer Speedy Morman, Power 105.1 host/ producer Nyla Symone, “On the Radar” creator Gabe P and veteran journalist Rob Markman. Each episode will feature a “Big Questions” segment meant to incite discourse about current events in hip-hop. The show will also consist of “Hot Takes,” guest interviews, and a debate segment fueled by chat participation.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Drake has announced dates for his 2023 “It’s All a Blur” tour presented by Cash App, Visa and Sprite. Produced by Live Nation, Drake and 21 Savage will be going on a 29-date arena run with stops including Chicago, Boston, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and more before wrapping up in Glendale, AZ at Desert Diamond Arena on Tuesday, September 5. “It’s All a Blur” marks Drake’s return to touring since headlining Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour in 2018. In the last five years, Drake has released four albums, including his most recent studio album, “Her Loss,” in collaboration with 21 Savage. According to the announcement, the tour’s title is “a celebration of the last decade,” signifying its retrospective nature

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Lewis Largent, who was known to millions in the 1980s and ‘90s as an influential alternative-music MTV VJ and DJ on KROQ, died on Feb. 20 after a long illness, his family confirms to Variety. He was 58. A native of Southern California, Largent was an enthusiastic golfer as a teen, and he met the general manager of the Los Angeles alternative-radio powerhouse KROQ while working at a country club. Impressed with Largent’s knowledge of music, the GM offered him an internship at the station that led to a full-time role in 1985. He rose quickly through the ranks and was named music director in 1989. In 1992, Largent left the station to take a VP of music programming post at MTV, where he soon began hosting “120 Minutes.” That show, a 1990s Sunday-night tradition on the channel, expanded the genre’s reach nationwide — and Largent’s. (This writer can recall a certain major label president striving to impress executives in a meeting with his ability to get Largent to take his call.) David Bowie, Bjork, Trent Reznor, Radiohead and PJ Harvey were among the many artists he hosted on “120 Minutes.”

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Pioneering hip-hop producer Prince Paul was never officially a member of De La Soul — but “The Magic Number” was always four whenever they worked together. As ambitious and creative as group members Posdnuous (Kelvin Mercer), Trugoy (the late Dave Jolicoeur) and Maseo (Vincent Mason Jr.) were, the man born Paul Huston was the glue that held it all together musically through many of the group’s biggest successes. “I think the way the dynamic changed because of me is I’m pro-everything,” Huston tells Variety. “If somebody’s considering an idea, I’m like, ‘Let’s do it!’” That fearless, kitchen-sink spirit led to “3 Feet High and Rising,” “De La Soul is Dead” and “Buhloone Mindstate,” three albums that caused three different generational shifts — for the group, their fans and often hip-hop culture. And those albums (and three others) were celebrated last week at “The D.A.I.S.Y. Experience” event in New York, where Huston, along with Posdnuous, Maseo, Dave Chapelle, Queen Latifah, Q-Tip, Common, Chuck D and many others, to commemorated the group’s music finally being released onto streaming platforms after decades-long legal entanglements.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Over the past couple of years, virtually every conversation about the challenges facing artists in the music-streaming economy has had one proposed quick fix: Raise subscription prices. As Milana Lewis, CEO of the distribution and payments platform Stem, told Variety last summer, “The price of everything else on earth is going up, and they all keep finding new ways to make subscriptions cheaper” via family and student plans, bundling and other initiatives. Apple Music, Amazon Music and Deezer have already done so, but others remain with the same $10 U.S. monthly price as when they started. New Warner Music CEO Robert Kyncl brings a view from the other side to the top of the music industry: He was head of business for YouTube — where he led a sea change in the streaming giant’s relationship with the music industry by, guess what, introducing a paid music subscription service — and at Netflix, where he presided over the company’s shift from DVDs to streaming.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor SoundCloud has named Eliah Seton chief executive officer, effective immediately. He succeeds Michael Weissman, who joined the streamer in 2017, has served as CEO since 2021 and is departing for a new opportunity. Seton joined SoundCloud in 2021 as president, overseeing the Creator and Roster operating divisions as well as strategy, M&A, content partnerships, business development, and distribution and artist partnerships. In that role, he has been instrumental in refocusing the business on deepening the relationship between its artists and fans through new economic models, products and tools. The company also announced that Fred Wilson, founder of Union Square Ventures and member of SoundCloud’s board since 2011, has been appointed as the new chairman of the board. Wilson succeeds SoundCloud Founder Alexander Ljung who served as CEO from 2007-2017 and chairman from 2017-2022. Ljung will assume a new role as chairman emeritus of the SoundCloud board, continue to serve as a board member and will also remain closely engaged and available to the company’s management team and employees going forward.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Today we release recorded music revenue data for 2022 showing a seventh straight year of continued growth – powered by a robust 8% increase in paid subscription streaming revenues which now make up two thirds of the market. In raw numbers, paid subscriptions hit 92 million for the first time ever, continuing a decade long run of double-digit growth. That’s practically double the 47 million paid subscribers on the books just four years ago in 2018. In the last ten years, streaming has gone from 15% to 84% of U.S. recorded music revenues, a virtual overnight transformation of our industry unmatched by any other media or art form. Other formats also saw significant growth. Streaming all together – paid subscriptions plus ad-supported services, digital and customized radio, and music used in social media platforms, digital fitness apps and others – grew 7% to a record high $13.3 billion last year, while vinyl’s incredible surge continued with revenues up 17% and, for the first time since 1987, more records sold than CDs.  (Read the full report.)

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor The U.S. recorded-music industry reached an all-time high of $15.9 billion in 2022, marking the industry’s seventh consecutive year of growth. While overall streaming growth has been leveling off in recent years, with 92 million paid U.S. subscriptions, it’s clearly continuing to grow and fuel the market while the steady resurgence of vinyl continues. Collectively accounting for 84% of total revenues, streaming continued to be the largest driver with paid subscriptions, ad-supported services, digital and customized radio, social media platforms, digital fitness apps and others, according to the report. Paid subscriptions were up 7% to a record high revenue of $13.3 billion. Revenues grew 8% to $10.2 billion, passing the $10 billion mark for the first time.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor The demise of the iconic Tower Records retail chain in 2006 was in many ways the final nail in the coffin of the 20th century music business model, but as vinyl sales unexpectedly revived over the past decade, the company relaunched in 2020 as an online retailer. Since then, there have been many rumblings about of some kind of bricks-and-mortar Tower relaunch — there was a vaguely defined space on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, and rumors, stickers and posters have been seen around New York for many months. On Wednesday, it made sense: The company has unveiled Tower Labs, a new creative space in Brooklyn, New York. Located on Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, Tower Labs “is designed to engage and stimulate music fans with a range of offerings including live music events, album listening parties, and a new speakeasy style ‘vinyl drop’ window for limited edition music and merchandise releases,” according to the announcement.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor ASCAP, the only remaining not-for-profit performing rights organization in the U.S., announced that its 2022 annual revenue surpassed $1.5 billion for the first time, which fueled record royalty distributions to ASCAP’s songwriter, composer and music publisher members. Collections totaled $1.522 billion in 2022, an increase of $187 million or 14% over the previous year. According to the announcement, ASCAP’s strategic growth plan, launched in 2015, has resulted in a 6% compound annual growth rate for total revenues, and a 7% compound annual growth rate for total distributions to members.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor K-Pop is facing a “very clear slowdown in growth” that has inspired his company’s expansion efforts in the U.S., Bang Si-Hyuk, chairman of HYBE, the company behind bands including BTS and other acts, told CNN’s Richard Quest in an interview published Sunday, as HYBE seeks to expand its holdings in the South Korean music market by acquiring a large stake in competitor SM. The genre, which has boomed globally over the past five years, “is not as hot in the market as you might perceive,” Bang said. “Globally, it’s not occupying much of the market. On the other hand, Latin music and Afrobeat are very rapidly growing. So being where we are, it is more urgent to increase the exposure. … Looking at our export indicators and streaming growth, the slowdown in growth is very clear.”