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10 Jan 2024

Donald Trump Trends On Social Media For “Ludacris” Reference

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For years now Donald Trump‘s mental decline has been on full display both on camera and on his social media posts, and yesterday the front runner for the Republican nomination for President of The United States once again found himself trending for showing just how mentally incompetent he’s become.

Yesterday Donald Trump once again lashed out at New York Attorney General Letitia James for trying to make him cough up $370 million dollars in the civil-fraud case he’s currently battling in court and in a video rant he posted on his Truth Social website, Trump titled his post “Even my Political Opponents Have Spoken Against the Ludacris Demands of NYS AG Tish James.”

Of course many were quick to notice that “Ludacris” somehow broke through unto Donald Trump’s limited vocabulary and Rep. Jared Moscowitz (D-FL) was quick to point out the rapper’s name and tagged him on the post for comedy’s sake saying “@Ludacris he forgot to tag you.”

It was all downhill for Donny after that as social media users pounced on the opportunity to once again remind Trump and his cult that the wannabe dictator isn’t exactly the brightest bulb in the bunch. Might be the whitest, but not the brightest.

Though Luda hasn’t responded to the tag nor to Trump using his name, the rapper did denounced Donald back in 2020 when he said he felt that Trump’s administration was causing more “dissension instead of unity.” This statement came well before MAGA cult members resorted to death threats, swatting and actual violence against Trump critics, so maybe Luda is steering clear of that MAGAt smoke that no one wants any part of.

Check out some more of the hilarious responses to Trump’s “Ludacris” post below and let us know your thoughts on the hiccup in the comments section.

10 Jan 2024

Record Label Market Share Year-End 2023: Republic Sets High Water Mark; RCA, Warner Finish Strong

At the midyear point of 2023, Republic Records had put up a 12.46% current market share — defined as albums released in the past 18 months — which was a remarkable figure, and more than 4.5% higher than the second-largest label. Now, as 2023 has come to a close, Republic finished the year even higher, reaching an eye-popping 13.47% current market share for the year. That’s the highest full-year mark since at least 2015, when streaming began to lift the industry out of its post-CD doldrums, and more than 3% higher than its current share in 2022, which was a then-industry-leading 10.38%.

Republic’s high-water mark stems from a combination of both enduring releases dating back to the end of 2022 and massive albums from two of the biggest stars on the planet this year: Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen. For full-year 2023, Swift and Wallen (signed through Republic’s deal with Big Loud, which on its own commanded a 2.33% current share) combined for seven of the top 10 albums in U.S. consumption units, according to Luminate, including four of the top five. With Metro Boomin’s Heroes & Villains ranking at No. 10, Republic had an astonishing eight of the 10 biggest albums in the United States in 2023. And Republic’s fourth quarter was even more dominant: In the final three months of the year, the label’s current market share ballooned to 16.79%, buoyed by new albums from Drake, Nicki Minaj and Stray Kids. That’s higher than the current share of the entire Warner Music Group across that three-month period, which stood at 15.50%.

Following Republic — which includes Island, Big Loud, Mercury Records, Cash Money and indie distributor Imperial in its market share — Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA) came in second in current share, at 8.80%, up from the 8.72% it tallied in 2022. The label — which also encompasses Verve Label Group — scored another big success with Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album GUTS. It also saw critical acclaim for Verve’s Jon Batiste, once again a Grammy darling, and continued its extremely strong recent track record of breaking new artists, with Gracie Abrams up for best new artist at this year’s Grammys — a category the label has won in three of the past four years.

The success of Republic and IGA helped parent company Universal Music Group roar back to a 35.84% current market share for 2023, jumping two points year over year from 2022’s 33.57%. In second, Sony Music Entertainment also grew year over year, up to 27.08% from 2022’s 26.99%, while Warner Music Group dipped to 16.95%, down from last year’s 18.30%. The indies, by distribution ownership, accounted for 20.13% current market share, down from 21.14% in 2022.

In third and fourth place in current share among frontline labels are a pair of Warner Music Group labels, Atlantic Records (6.83%, down from 9.15% in 2022) and Warner Records (5.96%, up from 4.86% in 2022). Atlantic (encompassing 300 Elektra Entertainment), which dipped from second to third place year over year, scored a big win with the Barbie soundtrack as well as No. 1s from Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow, despite a two-plus point percentage drop in current share. Meanwhile, Warner Records — which includes Warner Latin, catalog label Rhino and parts of Warner Nashville in its share — surged from sixth place last year to fourth place this year with a more than 1% boost. Zach Bryan’s self-titled album and No. 1 Hot 100 single “I Remember Everything” led the way, with Bryan landing at No. 4 on Billboard’s year-end Artist 100 ranking and his “Something in the Orange” being the third-most-streamed song of 2023.

In fifth, Capitol Music Group also saw a big year-over-year boost in current share, from 4.97% in 2022 to 5.90% in 2023. The label — which remains in fifth place despite the jump in share and encompasses Motown/Quality Control, Blue Note, Astralwerks, Capitol Christian and indie distributor Virgin Music — enjoyed the breakout success of Ice Spice (signed in conjunction with 10K Projects) in the past year as well as a top 10 Hot 100 single from Toosii.

Sixth place in current share belongs to RCA Records at 4.70%, a one-spot jump over last year when it came in with 4.65%. The label, whose market share does not include any other labels or distributors, benefited from the enduring success of SZA’s multi-Grammy nominated S.O.S. album, the third-biggest project of 2023, as well as huge hits from Doja Cat, Tate McCrae and Ateez, the latter of which landed a No. 1 album in the fourth quarter. Dropping into seventh is Columbia at 4.67% of current share, down from fourth in 2022 when it had a 6.67% share. Columbia, which includes some labels from indie distributor RED in its market share, still racked up a big hit with Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers,” which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 this year on its way to becoming the fourth-most-streamed song of 2023 and the most-heard song on radio in the United States, according to Luminate.

In eighth, Sony Nashville jumped a half percentage point year over year to 2.32% from 1.89% last year, with a big Luke Combs album helping it rise one spot from last year’s ranking. Meanwhile, Sony’s Epic Records slipped to ninth year over year, despite boosting its current share from 2.23% in 2022 to 2.30% in 2023 and scoring a pair of big projects from Travis Scott — whose Utopia album was the seventh-biggest of 2023, according to Luminate — and Tyla with “Water,” which roared into the Hot 100’s top 10 late in the year. Rounding out the top 10 is yet another Sony label, Sony Latin, which also had a huge year, upping its current share from 1.24% in 2022 to an impressive 1.95% in 2023.

In overall market share, Republic’s dominance with newer releases lifted it to the No. 1 slot over IGA, 9.83% to 9.65%, despite the latter’s industry-leading 9.93% share of the catalog market. Atlantic, at 8.09%, sits comfortably in third, while Warner Records and Capitol Music Group are neck-and-neck in fourth and fifth, with 6.68% and 6.66% overall share, respectively, with their catalog shares tied at 6.92%. Columbia’s 6.65% catalog share is enough to lift it into sixth in overall share, ahead of RCA, with the two separated at 6.14% and 5.16%, respectively, in overall share. Epic (2.61%), Sony Nashville (2.05%) and Def Jam (1.84%) round out the overall top 10 rankings.

Among the label groups, the weight of catalog once again lifts all ships, with UMG jumping to an industry-leading 38.46% overall market share, up from 37.54% in 2022. Sony also saw an increase year over year, ending 2023 at 27.18%, up from 2022’s 26.87%, while Warner dipped slightly year over year, to 18.62% in overall share in 2023 compared to 19.05% in 2022. The indies by distribution ownership also fell, to 15.74% from 16.54% in 2022.

10 Jan 2024

Kansas City Chiefs Tease Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce’s ‘Love Story’ During Postseason Recap

He’ll be the prince and she’ll be the princess! The Kansas City Chiefs made a reference to one of Taylor Swift’s most popular songs in a postseason recap shared to Instagram on Tuesday (Jan. 9), as the NFL team heads into the playoffs.

“Valentine’s Day is jealous of the ‘love story’ we have / Who could ever separate the end zone from Trav?” the narrator recites in the clip, referring to Travis Kelce, who is dating the “Anti-Hero” superstar. The clip also seems to make reference to Swift’s Fearless hit, “Love Story.” See the post here.

That’s not all. Elsewhere, in another recap, the NFL referred to Kelce as “Travis Swift Kelce” while boasting his “second-most yards for a tight end” achievement this year.

Swift and Kelce’s real life “Love Story” began back in July, when the football player tried to give a friendship bracelet to Swift during her Eras Tour stop in Kansas City. Since then, the singer has attended countless Chiefs football games and the duo have stepped out together on dates on multiple occasions.

“When you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,” Swift told TIME in December, marking her first public remarks of the relationship. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone. And we’re just proud of each other.” 

10 Jan 2024

New York Pops to Honor Clive Davis at Carnegie Hall Concert

The New York Pops will honor industry legend Clive Davis at the orchestra’s 41st birthday gala, “The Soundtrack of Our Lives: A Tribute to the Legendary Clive Davis,” on Monday, Apr. 29, at 7:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall. The orchestra will be joined by what is promised to be “a spectacular group of guest artists.”

The title of the event borrows the title of Davis’ 2013 autobiography and a 2017 documentary film on his life, now available on Netflix.

“We are thrilled to be honoring Clive Davis and his innumerable contributions to popular music,” said Steven Reineke, New York Pops music director and conductor, in a statement. “For decades, Mr. Davis has introduced us to countless favorite artists and songs, and shaped the American music landscape. Together with the 78 musicians of The New York Pops, we’ll revisit the soundtrack of our lives at Carnegie Hall.”

Proceeds from the Gala will support the New York Pops’ PopsEd music education programs. The concert will be followed at 8:30 p.m. by a black-tie optional dinner and dance at the Mandarin Oriental New York.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 11:00 a.m. Tickets to the concert and dinner dance are currently available for New York Pops donors of $100 or more by calling (212) 765-7677.

Davis, the chief creative officer for Sony Music Entertainment, previously held top posts at Columbia, Arista and J Records. In those years, he also oversaw Arista Nashville, LaFace Records and Bad Boy Records.

Davis has received four Grammy Awards as an album producer, including best album awards in three different genres — rock (Santana’s Supernatural, which also won the overall album of the year award), pop (Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway) and R&B (Jennifer Hudson’s eponymous debut album). In 2000, he received a Trustees Award from The Recording Academy and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (with Patti Smith doing the honors). In 2010, The Recording Academy named The Grammy Museum theater in his honor. In November 2022, Davis was one of seven honorees of the National Portrait Gallery’s Portrait of a Nation awards. 

10 Jan 2024

Common Signs With SMAC Entertainment

Rapper, actor and activist Common has signed with SMAC Entertainment. The Grammy-, Emmy- and Academy Award-winning artist will work with the talent management, music, branding and production company to pursue “strategic brand partnerships and endorsements, non-scripted projects and brand development for future projects and collaborations,” according to a press release announcing the signing.

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Stated SMAC Entertainment CEO Constance Schwartz-Morini in the release, “We are beyond thrilled to welcome Common to the SMAC family. His commitment to keeping it real and making a difference aligns perfectly with our motivating force at SMAC, and we believe Common is not just a great fit; he’s a game-changer. We can’t wait to take off on this exciting journey together!”

Beginning immediately, the new association will be overseen by Schwartz-Morini and fellow SMAC executives April Guidone and Derek Sanderson. They will be working in tandem with Common’s teams at UTA, Ceremony Music, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, The Lede Company and Tamara Brown at Think Common Entertainment.

Upcoming on Common’s project slate is the Jan. 23 release of his latest book, And Then We Rise. Focusing on health and wellness, the book addresses various topics such as achieving overall well-being and health disparities within the Black community as well as share Common’s insights and advice gleaned from his own personal wellness journey.

On the acting front, Common appears in Apple TV+’s sci-fi drama series Silo, which has been renewed for a second season. He also debuted on Broadway in the 2022 production of Between Riverside and Crazy. During the show’s run, Common hosted “Justice Nights on Broadway,” which featured a special performance and discussion about the show for invited justice advocates, formerly incarcerated people, their family members and community activists.

The Chicago native is actively involved in his Common Ground Foundation’s Dreamers & Believers mentoring program. He’s also a co-founder of the tuition-free creative arts school, Art In Motion.

Established in 2011, SMAC Entertainment represents rapper Wiz Khalifa, television personality Michael Strahan and Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, among other clients. The company’s recent television and film productions include the documentary BS High on MAX, the second season of Coach Prime for Prime Video as well as that streamer’s forthcoming feature film, The Underdoggs, produced by and starring Snoop Dogg.

10 Jan 2024

Tennessee State Bill to Protect Artists’ Voices from AI Impersonation Unveiled By Governor

Tennessee governor Bill Lee has announced a new state bill to further protect the state’s “best in class artists and songwriters” from AI deepfakes.

While the state already has laws to protect Tennesseans against the exploitation of their name, image and likeness without their consent, this new law, called the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act (ELVIS Act), is an update to the existing law to specifically address the challenges posed by new generative AI tools. The ELVIS Act also introduces protection for voices.

The announcement arrives just hours after a bipartisan group of U.S. House lawmakers revealed the No Artificial Intelligence Fake Replicas And Unauthorized Duplications Act (No AI FRAUD Act), which aims to establish a framework for protecting one’s voice and likeness on a federal level and lays out First Amendment protections. It is said to be a complement to the Senate’s Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act (NO FAKES Act), a draft bill that was introduced last October.

An artist’s voice, image or likeness may be covered by “right of publicity” laws that protect them from commercial exploitation without authorization, but this is a right that varies state by state. The ELVIS Act aims to provide Tennessee-based talent with much clearer protection for their voices in particular at the state level, and the No AI FRAUD Act hopes to establish a harmonized baseline of protection on the federal level. (If one lives in a state with an even stronger right of publicity law than the No AI FRAUD Act, that state protection is still viable and may be easier to address in court.)

The subject of AI voice cloning has been a controversial topic in the music business in the past year. In some cases, it presents novel creative opportunities — including its use for pitch records, lyric translations, estate marketing and fan engagement — but it also poses serious threats. If an artist’s voice is cloned by AI without their permission or knowledge, it can confuse, offend, mislead or even scam fans.

“From Beale Street to Broadway, to Bristol and beyond, Tennessee is known for our rich artistic heritage that tells the story of our great state,” says Gov. Lee in a statement. “As the technology landscape evolves with artificial intelligence, we’re proud to lead the nation in proposing legal protection for our best-in-class artists and songwriters.”

“As AI technology continues to develop, today marks an important step towards groundbreaking state-level AI legislation,” added Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “This bipartisan, bicameral bill will protect Tennessee’s creative community against AI deepfakes and voice cloning and will serve as the standard for other states to follow. The Academy appreciates Governor Lee and bipartisan members of the Tennessee legislature for leading the way — we’re eager to collaborate with lawmakers to move this bill forward.”

“The emergence of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) resulted in fake recordings that are not authorized by the artist and is wrong, period,” said a representative from Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). “The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) applauds Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Senate Leader Jack Johnson and House Leader William Lamberth for introducing legislation that adds the word “voice” to the existing law — making it crystal clear that unauthorized AI-generated fake recordings are subject to legal action in the State of Tennessee. This is an important step in what will be an ongoing challenge to regulate generative AI music creations.”

“I commend Governor Lee of Tennessee for this forward-thinking legislation,” said A2IM president/CEO Dr. Richard James Burgess. “Protecting the rights to an individual’s name, voice, and likeness in the digital era is not just about respecting personal identity but also about safeguarding the integrity of artistic expression. This act is a significant step towards balancing innovation with the rightful interests of creators and performers. It acknowledges the evolving landscape of technology and media, setting a precedent for responsible and ethical use of personal attributes, in the music industry.”

“The Artist Rights Alliance is grateful to Gov. Lee, State Senator Jack Johnson and Rep. William Lamberth for launching this effort to prevent an artist’s voice and likeness from being exploited without permission,” said Jen Jacobsen, executive director of the Artist Rights Alliance. “Recording artists and performers put their very selves into their art. Scraping or copying their work to replicate or clone a musician’s voice or image violates the most fundamental aspects of creative identity and artistic integrity. This important bill will help ensure that creators and their livelihoods are respected and protected in the age of AI.”

“AI deepfakes and voice cloning threaten the integrity of all music,” added David Israelite, president/CEO of the National Music Publishers’ Association. “It makes sense that Tennessee state would pioneer these important policies which will bolster and protect the entire industry. Music creators face enough forces working to devalue their work – technology that steals their voice and likeness should not be one of them.”

“Responsible innovation has expanded the talents of creators — artists, songwriters, producers, engineers, and visual performers, among others — for decades, but use of generative AI that exploits an individual’s most personal attributes without consent is detrimental to our humanity and culture,” said Mitch Glazier, chairman/CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). “We applaud Governor Bill Lee, State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and House Majority Leader William Lamberth’s foresight in launching this groundbreaking effort to defend creators’ most essential rights from AI deepfakes, unauthorized digital replicas and clones. The ELVIS Act reaffirms the State of Tennessee’s commitment to creators and complements Senator Blackburn’s bipartisan work to advance strong legislation protecting creators’ voices and images at the federal level.”

“Evolving laws to keep pace with technology is essential to protecting the creative community,” said Michael Huppe, president/CEO of SoundExchange. “As we embrace the enormous potential of artificial intelligence, Tennessee is working to ensure that music and those who make it are protected under the law from exploitation without consent, credit, and compensation. We applaud the cradle of country music and the birthplace of rock n’ roll for leading the way.”

According to a press release from the state of Tennessee, the ELVIS Act is also supported by Academy of Country Music, American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), The Americana Music Association, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), Church Music Publishers Association (CMPA), Christian Music Trade Association, Folk Alliance International, Global Music Rights, Gospel Music Association, The Living Legends Foundation, Music Artists Coalition, Nashville Musicians Association, National Music Publishers’ Association, Rhythm & Blues Foundation, Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC), Songwriters of North America (SONA) and Tennessee Entertainment Commission.

10 Jan 2024

2024 ISU European Figure Skating Championships: How to Watch & Stream From Anywhere

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The 2024 European Figure Skating Championships launch at the Zalgiris Arena in Kaunas, Lithuania, on Wednesday (Jan. 10), featuring 167 figure skaters from around the globe.

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More than 30 hours of live coverage will broadcast and stream live accross NBC, E! and Peacock.

Defending champions and 2022 Olympians Adam Siao Him Fa and Anastasia Gubanova will compete in the men’s and women’s singles. Two-time Olympian and reigning world bronze medalist Loena Hendrickx is expected to compete in the women’s singles division. Olympians Charlène Guignard and Marco Fabbri will compete for their second, consecutive European title.

Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski, three-time U.S. champion Jonny Weir and sportscaster Terry Gannon will provide a live play-by-play of the 2024 ISU European Figure Skating Championships, which take place Jan. 10-14.

Keep reading for more details on how to watch and stream.

ISU European Figure Skating Championships: Schedule, Best Ways to Watch

The 2024 European Figure Skating Championships will include the men’s singles, women’s singles, pair skating and ice dance. Live coverage will be available to stream on Peacock as well as E! and NBC for select competitions.

Fans who don’t have access to cable or local channels can stream the competition on Peacock or a platform that offers live television such as Sling TV, DirecTV and Fubo.

Peacock is $5.99/month for the Premium plan and $11.99/month for the commercial-free, Premium Plus plan.

Looking for streaming deals? Subscribe to Peacock’s annual plan to save 17% off.

Aside from sports, Peacock features exclusive TV series and must-watch movies such as Poker Face, Dr. Death, The Holdovers, Extended Family, Ted and Love Island: Love Games along with Bravo favorites such as The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and Vanderpump Rules.

Want a streaming plan with live TV? Peacock’s Premium Plus Plan offers live access to NBC, but if you’re interested in more channels, DirecTV offers a free trial for five days and you’re not tied to a contract, so you can cancel anytime.

DirecTV’s streaming packages come with 75-plus channels including NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, E!, Bravo, CNN, ESPN, A&E, AMC, BET, MTV, VH1, Food Network, FS1, FS2, Lifetime, Logo, Nickelodeon and Paramount Network. Save $25 for the first two months when you subscribe to Choice plan. The streaming package is discounted to $89.99/month (reg. $108.99/month) for a limited time.

Sling TV is another affordable choice, plans start at just $20 per month for a limited time.

If you’re streaming internationally, ExpressVPN lets you access several streaming platforms. Coverage of the figure skating competition will be available on Eurosport for viewers in Europe and SBS on Demand in Australia.

Day one of the ISU European Figure Skating Championships kicked off Wednesday with the pairs’ short program, which streamed on Peacock at 6 a.m. ET, followed by the men’s short program at 10:15 a.m.

The men’s short program will air on the E! network and stream on Peacock at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

The women’s short program leads the list of programming for Thursday. The competition will stream live on Peacock at 6:15 a.m. An encore presentation of the event will air on E! at 11 a.m.

Thursday’s pairs’ free skate program is slated for noon and 1 p.m. on Peacock and will broadcast on E! at 1 p.m.

Rhythm dancing leads the pack for Friday, but you’ll have to get up early to catch the action. Coverage will begin streaming at 5 a.m. on Peacock. The men’s free program is slated for Friday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Peacock. The program will air on E! at 1 p.m.

Saturday’s schedule will include the women’s free program, which will stream on Peacock at 6 a.m., followed by the free dance at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Peacock (the free dance will broadcast on E! at 1 p.m.). If you miss the women’s free program, NBC will air an encore presentation on Sunday at noon.

The exhibition gala will stream on Peacock on Sunday at 8:30 a.m.

See the full schedule below.

Wednesday, Jan. 10

  • Pairs’ short program – 6 a.m. ET on Peacock
  • Men’s short program – 10:15 a.m. ET on Peacock
  • Men’s short program – 1 p.m. ET on E!, Peacock

Thursday, Jan. 11

  • Women’s short program – 6:15 a.m. ET on Peacock
  • Women’s short program – 11 a.m. ET on E! (encore presentation)
  • Pairs’ free program – 12 p.m. ET on Peacock
  • Pairs’ free program – 1 p.m. ET on E!, Peacock

Friday, Jan. 12

  • Rhythm dance – 5 a.m. ET on Peacock
  • Men’s free program – 11 a.m. on Peacock
  • Men’s free program – 1 p.m. on E!, Peacock  

Saturday, Jan. 13

  • Women’s free program – 6 a.m. ET on Peacock
  • Free dance program – 11:30 a.m. ET on Peacock
  • Free dance program – 1 p.m. ET on E!, Peacock

Sunday, Jan. 14

  • Exhibition gala – 8:30 a.m. on Peacock
  • Women’s free program – 12 p.m. ET on NBC (encore presentation)

10 Jan 2024

U.S. Music Consumption Saw Double-Digit Growth in 2023 as Streaming Surged, Sales Rebounded

Taylor Swift dominated the U.S. market in 2023 by accounting for 1.8% of music consumption and one out of every 78 audio streams, according to Luminate’s 2023 year-end report released Wednesday (Jan. 10). But even without Swift, last year Americans streamed a record amount of music and purchased more albums than the year before. 

U.S. music consumption grew 12.6% in 2023 to 1.1 billion units (measured as album sales plus track equivalent albums and streaming equivalent albums). With that double-digit gain, the U.S. market easily exceeded the 9.2% improvement from 2022 and had its biggest one-year gain since consumption grew 15% in 2019.  

The streaming market picked up momentum in 2023 despite on-demand services already reaching mainstream status and subscription prices increasing in recent years. On-demand song streaming — both audio and video — climbed 14.6% to 1.5 trillion streams, an improvement on the 12.2% growth in 2022 and 10% growth in 2021. On-demand audio streams from services such as Spotify and Apple Music rose 12.7% to 1.2 trillion.  

It was another good year for vinyl LPs and CDs as consumers continued to keep the album format alive in an era of single-serving music. Overall U.S. album sales rose 5.2% to 105.3 million — a rebound from 2022, when overall sales fell by 8.2%. Physical album sales grew 8.9% to 87 million while digital album sales fell 9.3% to 18.3 million.  

Repeating a trend seen in recent years, the music Americans consumed in 2023 got a little older. The share of album consumption for catalog — releases more than 18 months old — was 72.6%, a slight increase from 72.2% in 2022. Total catalog album consumption increased 13.2% to 796.8 million units. Current music’s share of album consumption dropped to 27.4%, though current album consumption still increased in unit terms, rising 10.9% to 300.4 million units.  

In the year it celebrated its 50th anniversary, hip-hop was the most popular genre in the United States with a 25.3% share of album units (album sales plus track equivalent albums plus streaming equivalent albums) — even though no hip-hop song topped the Hot 100 until Doja Cat‘s “Paint the Town Red” did it in September. Rock was No. 2 with a 19.4% share and pop was No. 3 with a 12.3% share. Country and Latin rounded out the top five with 8.4% and 6.9% shares, respectively.  

Rock led album sales with a 41.5% share, more than triple No. 2 hip-hop’s 12.9% share and No. 3 pop’s 12.7% share. Country was No. 4 with a 7.8% share and World — mainly K-pop — was No. 5 with a 6.9% share. 

In terms of growth rate, World music — which also includes J-pop, or Japanese pop, and Afrobeats — topped all other genres with a 26.2% increase in U.S. on-demand audio streams to 5.7 billion. No. 2 Latin was close behind with 24.1% growth but was far larger with 19.4 billion on-demand audio streams. Country was No. 3 in terms of growth, up 23.7% and with a total of 20.4 billion on-demand audio streams.  

On the other end of the spectrum was comedy, which excels at YouTube and TikTok but lost 10.2% of its on-demand audio streams in 2023. New age fell 6.9% and children’s music dropped 6.2%.  

Led by Peso Pluma, Regional Mexican grew 60% to 21.9 billion U.S. on-demand audio streams, with Peso ranking No. 43 overall in U.S. on-demand audio streams with 1.9 billion. Another rising Regional Mexican artist, the group Eslabon Armado, amassed 1.3 billion U.S. on-demand audio streams — good for No. 71 overall.  

J-pop totaled 1.67 billion on-demand audio streams (of J-pop tracks ranked in the top 10,000 world music songs). J-pop’s success comes from a youth movement: Fans are 95% more likely than the general population to be Generation Z and 94% more likely to identify as LGBTQ+, according to Luminate. 

Direct-to-consumer album sales increased 38.6% to 11.8 million units as record labels put greater resources behind selling albums to their fans from artist and label websites. Rock was the D2C leader with a 38.6% share, followed by pop with 18.3% and R&B/hip-hop with 13.2%. D2C vinyl sales grew by 1.9 million to 6.8 million, up from 4.8 million in 2022. D2C CD sales rose 400,000 units to 3.9 million, up from 3.5 million.

The average U.S. monthly spend on music increased to $116 in the third quarter of 2023 from $96 in the prior-year quarter. That was about even with the $117 average monthly spend seen in the full-year 2021. Live music accounted for 62% of average monthly spend.  

Globally, on-demand song streams — both audio and video — reached 7.1 trillion, up 33.7% from 2022. Global audio on-demand streams totaled 4.1 trillion, up 22.3%. 

The United States ranked first globally in total streaming volume with 1.45 trillion, approximately 40% ahead of No. 2 India’s 1.04 trillion and nearly four times No. 3 Brazil’s 374 billion. But India ranked No. 1 in new net streams with 463.7 billion, an increase of 81% from 2022, while the United States ranked No. 2 with 184 billion net new streams and Indonesia was No. 3 with 93.1 billion net new streams (and No. 5 in total streams with 235.5 billion).

10 Jan 2024

Lil Nas X Features Look-Alikes of Taylor Swift, Kanye West & More Celebrities in ‘J CHRIST’ Teaser

Lil Nas X is continuing his teasers for his upcoming single, “J CHRIST,” and he took to Instagram on Wednesday (Jan. 10) to unveil a sneak peek of the music video.

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In the brief clip, celebrity look-alikes of stars including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Kanye West, Mariah Carey, Oprah and Barak Obama walk through a field, ascending up a stairway to the gates of heaven. See it here.

In the caption, Lil Nas X indicated that the music video will be arriving alongside the single on Friday (Jan. 12). In his “J CHRIST” announcement earlier in the week, the musician shared the cover art featuring himself taking Jesus’ place on a crucifix as five bystanders begin to raise him off the ground. A second video clip sees him nailed to a gold cross that suddenly transforms into a mechanical suit complete with a halo. “MY NEW SINGLE IS DEDICATED TO THE MAN WHO HAD THE GREATEST COMEBACK OF ALL TIME,” Lil Nas wrote in his announcement.

After fans accused him of trolling, the “Industry Baby” star took to Instagram on Tuesday (Jan. 9) to share a photo of his acceptance letter to Liberty University, where he will be taking a dual concentration in Christian Leadership and Biblical Studies starting in the fall. “I know some of yall hate me right now but i want yall to know im literally about to go to college for biblical studies in the fall. Not everything is a troll! Anyways IM A STUDENT AGAIN! LETS GOOO,” he captioned the post, which you can check out here.

10 Jan 2024

Accused Shakira Stalker Arrested Outside Her Home

A man named Daniel John Valtier of El Paso, Texas, was arrested in Miami and charged with one count of stalking Shakira, according to NBC 6 in Miami, citing the arrest report. He was detained outside the Latin music star’s home in Miami Beach on Monday (Jan. 8).

Billboard has reached out to the Miami-Dade Police Department and Shakira.

“She’s my wife. I speak to her all the time,” Valtier, 56, is heard claiming during court on Tuesday (Jan. 9), in video shared by the local NBC affiliate.

“I have real concerns right now because this man is delusional saying she’s his wife and that’s not true. That is very concerning to the court,” the judge responded. “I’m very concerned. … Then I have the same man in court making comments to me  that suggest he believes that he has the right to be with this person and that is absolutely not true.” 

Valtier has been sharing alarming posts about the Colombian singer on social media for months, and has even sent gifts such as wine bottles and toys to her home, NBC Miami reported. 

“Shakira, she wants to be American like her father, and share the rest of her life with me. We will own a trucking business, sing songs, promote, manage and own a garment manufacturing corporation worldwide,” he wrote on Instagram in October.

The judge ordered a $50,000 bond, which he then increased to $100,000, and ordered that Valtier have zero contact with the singer, including no contact on social media, no sending letters or gifts, no emailing and no one else speaking to her on his behalf, unless required for court appearances.

“The 50K is not sufficient to protect this community and in particular this victim,” the judge said, according to NBC Miami. “I’m going to increase the bond to $100K because I feel that I have to, and with the stay away order.”