State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
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Trending on Billboard Zach Top didn’t need anyone to hold his beer when he won big at the Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday night (Nov. 19) — he just took it right on up with him. Shortly after performing on stage at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, the 28-year-old singer-songwriter was crowned new artist of […]
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Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl has detailed the company’s approach to generative AI in a new blog post published Wednesday (Nov. 19). The missive arrived just hours after WMG announceda settlement and licensing deal with Udio, effectively ending its part in a blockbuster copyright infringement lawsuit against the AI music company, which it brought alongside the other two majors.
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In Kyncl’s address, he stressed that while it’s “early days” for AI, “this is the moment to shape the business models, set the guardrails and pioneer the future for the benefit of artists and songwriters.” The CEO also revealed his thought process when going into meetings with AI companies, saying that his three non-negotiables include “partners who commit to licensed models”; economic terms that benefit and “reflect the value of music”; and giving the company’s signees a choice to “opt-in” to any use of their names, images, likenesses or voices in new AI-generated songs.
Kyncl also stated his belief that AI tools will further democratize music creation, adding that to stand out “in a sea of AI-generated content, real artistry identity and vision” is needed. He additionally stressed that the music industry should focus on engaging fans and getting them to lean in, saying, “the more interactivity users have with the music they love, the more value is created.”
Read the full blog post below.
AI is still in its early days. Investment is surging, talent is pouring in, and a crop of new, ambitious startups are working with music again for the first time in more than a decade. This is the moment to shape the business models, set the guardrails, and pioneer the future for the benefit of our artists and songwriters.
We’re approaching this new era with one priority above all else: protecting and empowering the artists and songwriters who are our reason for being. Every decision we make, every partnership we forge, every principle we establish is designed to ensure that they benefit from AI’s possibilities.
Every AI deal we make is guided by three non-negotiable principles:
1. We will only make agreements with partners who commit to licensed models;2. The economic terms must properly reflect the value of music;3. And, most importantly, artists and songwriters will have a choice to opt-in to any use of their name, image, likeness, or voice in new AI-generated songs.
WHY THIS MOMENT MATTERS
Over the last 25 years, we’ve experienced the democratization of music distribution. Many predicted it would lead to the demise of our industry, but the skeptics were proven wrong.
The barriers to entry have fallen, the world has gotten smaller, and artists are global from day one. Fans love having unlimited personalized access, streaming is driving unprecedented growth, and music is more valuable than ever.
Now, we are entering the next phase of innovation. The democratization of music creation.
We believe Generative AI will lead to a new explosion in creative and commercial opportunities, and that authentic talent will be even more in demand for two reasons
In a sea of AI-generated content, real artistry, identity, and vision will define stronger artistic brands.
The ability for fans to utilize AI will unlock even greater value. As history shows, the more interactivity users have with the music they love, the more value is created.
OUR APPROACH
Our approach is clear: legislate, litigate, license. We lobby for legislation that sets clear guidelines. We deploy litigation to halt bad actors. And we use licensing as the most powerful way to shape the future. Licensing is how we can safeguard our artists and songwriters, while collaborating with tech partners, to propel new fan experiences that drive additional revenue.
The partnerships we forge will offer a variety of specific use cases. Each of them adheres to our principles, winning important protections for artists and songwriters, while ensuring that they share in every dollar that’s earned. And as the services grow their revenue, so will the pay outs.
This space is moving lightning fast. Past lessons teach us that delaying only lets others define our future. The music business learned that during the file-sharing era. And the film & TV industries are still regretting not embracing streaming sooner. So for artists and songwriters to win, the music industry needs to be a leading force in the formative stages of AI, not a passive participant. We will steer the course in this new era to deliver greater value for our artists, songwriters, and their music.
This is only the beginning.
Robert Kyncl
Trending on Billboard Following a Luke Combs performance of “Back in the Saddle,” host Lainey Wilson properly kicked off the 2025 CMA Awards, with a medley of country favorites originally performed by some of the stars in the Nashville crowd. After some introductory remarks about how excited she was to be hosting the awards and […]
Trending on Billboard When it came time to kick off the 2025 CMA Awards on Wednesday night (Nov. 19), Luke Combs didn’t waste any time — he just hopped “Back in the Saddle.” Taking to the stage at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Combs — dressed in his usual short-sleeved button-up shirt and baseball cap — […]
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Spotify has acquired the song sample platform WhoSampled, the companies revealed on Wednesday (Nov. 19).
According to a blog post by Spotify, WhoSampled will power SongDNA, an upcoming feature on the streaming platform that will showcase “connections between songs,” including samples, collaborators and covers. In a LinkedIn post, WhoSampled founder Nadav Poraz said he would stay on and that the platform would “continue to operate as a standalone platform and brand” following the acquisition. A blog post by WhoSampled added that the platform, which is driven by user contributions, would improve in several ways, noting that its iOS app would now be free to download and that in-app subscriptions would become free for all users; in addition, the site will become ad-free, and moderation for submissions will be faster.
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News of the purchase was part of a larger announcement in which Spotify revealed it would be expanding its song credits feature to encompass every single contributor to tracks on the platform; song credits previously only included topline performers, songwriters and producers. Spotify notes that the expanded song credits, which come directly from labels and distributors, are available starting now on the Spotify mobile app and will be rolled out to its desktop platform in the coming months.
Also announced by Spotify on Wednesday was “About the song,” another upcoming feature that will take the form of “swipeable cards” featuring factoids about songs. The information, which will be available in the platform’s “Now Playing” view, will be “sourced from third parties to highlight interesting details and behind-the-scenes moments,” according to Spotify’s blog post.
Spotify says the SongDNA and About the song features will be introduced via its Spotify for Artists platform early next year — giving creators an opportunity to offer feedback and “redeliver” credits if inaccuracies are found — before rolling out to users.
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“Every song is a collaboration, and every contributor should be seen,” said Jacqueline Ankner, head of songwriter & publisher partnerships at Spotify, in a statement. “With expanded Song Credits, SongDNA, and About the song, we’re giving fans a deeper look at the people and creative threads behind the music they love and giving creators the recognition they deserve. It’s another step in Spotify’s work to champion the people, connections, and stories that bring every track to life.”
Artists can review their Spotify song credits here.
Trending on Billboard 50 Cent’s film empire continues to expand. The G-Unit boss is on board as a producer for the upcoming crime drama Moses the Black, which will star rappers Wiz Khalifa and Quavo. The gangland flick is slated to come to U.S. theaters on Jan. 30, 2026. Omar Epps, Chukwudi Iwuji, Detroit rapper Skilla […]
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Venesti and Mike Bahía take “Difícile,” their first partnership, to No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart (dated Nov. 22), as the song rallies 13-1 in its 11th week.
“Difícil” soars to No. 1 on the overall Latin radio ranking with 8.24 million audience impressions earned in the United States during the tracking week of Nov. 7-13 (up 55%), according to Luminate. Leading the song’s radio surge are Univision stations KVVF in San José, Calif., KQMR in Phoenix, and KAMA in Houston.
“We are No. 1 on Billboard with Venesti!” Mike Bahía shared with Billboard. “Thank you for the invitation, my friend. I am grateful to Chappell [Warner Chappell Music Latin] for bringing us together, grateful to Luis Salazar, the producer, and Samantha Cámara, one of the composers I love collaborating with. Beyond happy, this is sooo cool, pure fuel.”
“I would like to thank God, first of, because we are No. 1 on Billboard,” Venesti adds. “Grateful to Billboard for their consistent love, my radio crew in the States, my incredible fans, my team, AP Global Music, and Mike Bahía for believing in the song.”
Bahía achieves his first No. 1 on the Latin Airplay chart with “Difícile.” Plus, he becomes the sixth act to earn their inaugural chart-topper in 2025, joining Kapo, benny blanco, The Marías, Gerardo Coronel ‘El Jerry,’ and Morat.
Venesti, meanwhile, banks his third champ, after “Umaye” and “No Es Normal,” with Nacho and Maffio, both one-week rulers in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Elsewehere, “Difícile” reaches new heights on Latin Pop Airplay, as the song climbs 3-1 for its week atop. This also marks Bahía’s first No. 1 there.
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Two more of Smokey Robinson’s former employees — a woman and a man — have come forward with claims that the 85-year-old Motown singer sexually assaulted them on the job.
Robinson was first accused of sexual misconduct in May, when four anonymous, female ex-housekeepers at his Los Angeles-area home brought a $50 million civil lawsuit alleging the singer forced them to have oral and vaginal sex dozens of times between 2007 and 2024. Robinson vehemently denied those claims and has countersued the housekeepers for defamation.
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Now, another anonymous female housekeeper and an unnamed male car mechanic want to join the lawsuit. A lawyer for the group, John Harris, argued in a motion to amend the lawsuit on Friday (Nov. 14) that all the claims involve “overlapping events under the same operative timeline.”
The fifth housekeeper, dubbed “Jane Doe 5,” claims Robinson groped her breasts, propositioned her for sex and forced her to scrub his back in the shower between 2007 and 2011. The mechanic, a man known as “John Doe 1,” says Robinson would masturbate while watching him work starting in 2013 and once tried to force him to touch Robinson’s penis.
In a statement shared with Billboard on Wednesday (Nov. 19), Harris said, “We commend these two courageous survivors for stepping forward and adding their voices to this case. We look forward to advocating for them vigorously as they pursue the justice they deserve.”
Robinson’s lawyer, Christopher Frost, responded in his own statement that the new claims are false and part of an “organized, avaricious campaign to extract money from an 85-year-old legend.”
“This group of people, who hide behind anonymity, and their attorneys seek global publicity while making the ugliest of false allegations,” added Frost. “Once the public can see the truth, their avaricious motives and fabricated claims will be revealed.”
The civil claims against Robinson are currently scheduled to go to trial in 2027. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department also opened a criminal investigation after the housekeepers made a police report, though no charges have been filed to date.
Trending on Billboard Doja Cat kicked off her Tour Ma Vie World Tour in New Zealand on Tuesday, and she’s responding to a few early critics of the global trek. It appears some fans weren’t thrilled with clips from Doja’s tour opener, as they took issue with the wardrobe changes, set design, visuals and storytelling […]
Trending on Billboard The 2025 CMA Awards are going down Wednesday night (Nov. 19) live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, and the biggest and brightest stars in country music are all coming to the party. Ella Langley, Megan Moroney and Lainey Wilson lead the way in nominations, tied with six nods apiece. Zach Top follows with […]
