Immersive David Bowie Experience Opens in London; First Bandcamp Friday of '26 Raises $3.6M for Indie Artists
2322 | Your Daily Dose of Music Streaming News
Why I Built a Tool to Stop AI From Scraping Musicians’ Songs
An OpEd courtesy of a musician and producer sick of having his work gobbled up by AI, and looking to reclaim power for indie artists everywhere.
The music industry’s boiling frog moment
Streaming and social media define today’s music business. This ecosystem delivers vast commercial benefit but with great cultural cost. There are few who do not understand the costs and yet, they tolerate them because the commercial upside is simply so big.
Spotify CEO delivers strong message on its future
“Spotify enters this next chapter from a position of strength, aiming to build the first truly intelligent media platform,” wrote Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne in a research report shared with TheStreet. “We anticipate more product tied specifically to leveraging AI and enhancing personalization.”
First Bandcamp Friday of 2026 Raises $3.6M for Independent Artists
Since launching during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in response to widespread touring losses, Bandcamp Fridays have grown into a fan-powered movement that continuously puts artists first.
Lightroom unveils immersive David Bowie experience in London
The London-based company, which creates IP-led immersive entertainment experiences, has unveiled details of David Bowie: You’re Not Alone, a new show featuring never-before-exhibited material that delves into the late pop icon’s career and artistry.
Distributor Symphonic launches AI-powered release-plan tool
Symphonic is the latest music distributor rolling out AI-powered features for its artist and label clients.
SoundCloud’s 2026 Intelligence Study — Here’s How We Think Artists Should Read the Results
The second edition of SoundCloud’s Music Intelligence Report is out, offering a data-driven look at how music is evolving.
Claw·fm is an online-radio station just for AI agents’ music
It’s quite the tagline. “Give your agent a music career.” The agents in question being AI agents, of course, as explained on Claw·fm’s site.
Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Set Leads to His 2nd-Largest Streaming Day Ever
Following his halftime show performance Feb. 8, the superstar’s Feb. 9 streams narrowly missed marking the biggest day of his career.
Apple Music doubles the penalty for fraudulent streaming
The most obvious example of streaming fraud is where a musician or label uses a network of bots to constantly stream their music 24/7 in order to earn royalties. There are, however, a number of other strategies that have emerged over the years — including manipulation designed to boost chart performance.
Connect Music Scores $80 Million Raise, Targets AI, Licensing, and Catalog Acquisition Expansions
In addition to outlining its song rights ambitions, the business underscored plans to double down on its licensing efforts and to deploy the initially mentioned “proprietary A.I models to expand opportunities for artists to earn more from their intellectual property.”
Production-music firm Sonoton adds ‘VIP’ sample-curation service
What does that service involve? It starts with a new collection of loop packs geared towards these potential clients, with the promise of easy clearances for anyone who joins the invite-only program.
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