Business
Page: 15
Elton John had an ulterior motive for making his latest album, Who Believes in Angels?, a collaboration with his good friend Brandi Carlile.
The icon wanted to help the nine-time Grammy winner expand her global footprint. “My ambition for her with this album was to break her internationally,” John told Billboard prior to the album’s release. “She’s a well-known artist in America, but in the rest of the world, she has a lot of work to do.”
Mission accomplished. The album, which came out April 4, debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. Official Albums chart, giving Carlile her first No. 1 on the tally and her first to reach the chart’s top 40.
“This is a major milestone and career highlight for Brandi,” says Phantom Management’s Catherine Carlile, Carlile’s manager and wife, who helped orchestrate the campaign. “This is her first ever No. 1 album, and to have achieved this honor with her absolute hero and friend Elton John makes this accomplishment even more profound.”
Trending on Billboard
In the U.S., the album opened at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, marking the 22nd top 10 for John and the fourth for Carlile.
The album — produced by Andrew Watt and featuring songs written by John, Carlile and Bernie Taupin — also tops both Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts, and starts at No. 2 on Top Album Sales chart and Indie Store Album Sales chart, and No. 3 on Vinyl Albums chart.
Carlile began building her U.K. audience last July when she opened for Stevie Nicks at BTS Hyde Park before an audience of 60,000, then followed with her own headlining acoustic show at the 2,000-seat Drury Lane Theater.
Her extensive U.K. tour in June builds on those dates. “Brandi is a hugely successful touring artist in the U.S., but hasn’t toured in the U.K. for a long time, so we knew we needed to water that garden beyond those two appearances in London,” Catherine Carlile says. “We also knew that Brandi’s album with Elton would shine the spotlight on her globally, so we announced her U.K./[European] tour in February, which sold out instantly.”
The U.K. album campaign was orchestrated by Phantom in conjunction with John’s management team, John’s husband/manager David Furnish and Rachael Paley at Rocket Entertainment, as well as British publicity team DawBell and Universal U.K., and culminated in a live event at the London Palladium on March 26, which featured actor Dan Levy conducting a Q&A with John and Carlile, and the pair playing several songs with a full band. The evening aired on CBS in the U.S. on April 6, and will air on ITV in the U.K. on Saturday (April 19).
“The Palladium special was a total triumph and no small feat,” Catherine Carlile says. “Having partners like Fulwell Entertainment who know exactly how to capture the electricity of live music performances and deliver authentic and moving TV was a dream come true for us.”
The album’s two singles released in the U.K. — “Who Believes in Angels?” and “Swing for the Fences” — have reached a radio audience of more than 175 million, Catherine Carlile says, further building singer Carlile’s U.K. exposure.
Following this summer’s U.K. dates, which include a globally broadcast performance at the Glastonbury Festival, and playing in continental Europe, Carlile will “hopefully [play] other markets — Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South America, etc.,” Catherine Carlile says. “It’s such a gift for an artist of Brandi’s stature to have an opportunity to reach an undiscovered audience outside of the U.S. at this stage in her career. And it’s a challenge she fully embraces.”
Carlile is working on her next solo album, which Catherine Carlile says has been teed up perfectly by Who Believes in Angels?.
“After being uplifted and endorsed by one of the greatest artists of all time, we cannot wait to show the world who Brandi is as an artist, performer, and songwriter,” she says. “This is her moment to shine on what will probably be the most highly anticipated album of her career.”
Last year, I wrote an op-ed titled “Fighting Streaming Fraud at the Distributor Level.” In it, I discussed the complexity of streaming fraud, where it comes from and how it can be solved with all industry stakeholders working together. At Symphonic Distribution, we’ve worked to create resources for our clients, such as an analytics tool that shows fraudulent streams and best practices for streaming safely while utilizing KYC (know your customer) efforts to combat increases in fraud and championing the use of identity verification. All of these efforts, along with continued collaboration between members of the Music Fights Fraud Alliance (MFFA), have led to a reduction in instances of fraud.
In the months since my op-ed was released, streaming fraud has become an even more important topic of conversation at industry events and conferences and is being meaningfully addressed by distributors around the globe. Currently, most distributors have continued to be or are now involved in learning how to proactively deal with fraud; they’ve been more vocal, provided more data to each other, and most now have policies to prevent it as best they can. However, fraud has also become more sophisticated, and like a virus, it has mutated and evolved to better hide itself. For example, we’ve recently seen fraudsters begin to “sprinkle” fraudulent activity through bot playlists, use AI to impersonate artists and even attack legitimate streaming activity to weaponize fraud against others as sabotage; the latter even happened to me.
Trending on Billboard
Symphonic has had success in decreasing fraud and been outspoken about what can be done to combat it. I can say we’ve seen results, and that our work will continue, but we felt it important to be transparent about what could be done to continue to make progress in this area.
Distributors
As I’ve said before, distributors need to implement advanced KYC procedures. At an absolute minimum, there needs to be robust identification checks for all new labels and artists they bring under their umbrella. Fraudsters cannot commit fraud if they can’t upload their tracks, and many will balk when asked to provide their personal ID. Moreover, if they do provide their ID and commit fraud that is then traced to them, all accounts linked to that ID can be deleted at once.
Additionally, leveraging platforms such as Tipalti, Trolley and other fintech payment platforms is helpful for OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) compliance and further helps identify the individual. As distributors, we all have a responsibility to ensure that who we’re dealing with is actually who they say they are and truly the rightsholder. This is a challenge, but the effort is worth it.
Here are a few additional actions distributors can take:
Implement and Enforce Strict Content Verification Processes
Before content is published, implementing rigorous verification procedures can prevent the distribution of infringing material. This includes verifying the authenticity of tracks and ensuring that proper licenses are in place. Sony Music’s recent removal of over 75,000 AI-generated deepfake recordings highlights the importance of proactive content management.
Educate Artists and Labels on Ethical Practices
Providing clear guidelines about artificial streaming and its consequences is crucial. Educating stakeholders on the risks associated with fraudulent services and emphasizing the importance of organic growth can deter participation in unethical practices. Resources like Symphonic’s best practices for streaming safely offer valuable insights.
Collaborate Across the Industry
Forming alliances and working collectively can strengthen the fight against fraud. Initiatives like the MFFA demonstrate the effectiveness of industry-wide collaboration in addressing streaming fraud.
DSPs
Similarly, digital service providers (DSPs) need to be more discerning about what content gets ingested into their platforms. With more than 200,000 tracks being added on many of them each day, DSPs must take a more active role in creating more friction in the process of uploading music to dissuade and discourage fraudsters.
What DSPs can do to help:
Strengthen User-Generated Content (UGC) Systems for Issue Resolution
UGC platforms have developed systems that help identify and resolve disputes among parties without the need for extensive legal action. Strengthening these systems can enhance conflict resolution and reduce litigation.
Meaningfully Address AI in Music
At a minimum, AI-generated songs should be clearly labeled. Action is already being taken here with groups like AI:OK working on developing an AI Trustmark, but DSPs should already be adopting more stringent AI guidance. At Symphonic, we ask our clients whether they have used “Some,” “All,” or “No” AI in their content during the upload process to improve identification. We are also exploring partnerships to enhance AI detection and verification.
The bigger question remains: What is AI-generated music worth? DSPs could provide more guidance in this area, and implementing clearer rules now could drive more rapid and structured change while legal frameworks evolve. We are not anti-AI, but we support the idea that fully AI-generated content should be valued less than AI-assisted human-created content.
Develop and Implement Stronger Regulations for Distributors
As a result of fraud, distribution needs to be taken more seriously than it currently is. There are too many distributors with overly open policies who do not approach the matter responsibly. Instead of adding more distributors, we should consider working with the many reputable companies that already exist. And by extension, DSPs shouldn’t work with new distributors unless they are addressing fraud at the point of ingestion.
Coming Together
With fraudsters finding new and unique ways to commit fraud, distributors, DSPs, and other entities in the industry have come together to fight them. Chiefly, the MFFA, formed in 2023, continues to expand and add new members and anti-fraud initiatives. Since its inception, the MFFA has grown to more than 20 members. In addition to Symphonic, it includes Tunecore, CD Baby, Empire, Spotify, SoundCloud, Meta and many more. Those who are a part of the MFFA are beginning to continuously share information with each other so that we all know what to look for and stay informed as an industry on how best to fight fraud. This data sharing practice has already helped Symphonic reduce fraud, and from what we’ve heard, it is also doing the same for our partners in the MFFA.
I’ve continued to have these conversations at conferences and other industry events, and the enthusiasm for coming together to fight fraud is apparent. With the appointment of Michael Lewan as executive director, the work of the MFFA is going to accelerate quickly, and more companies will soon be able to join to expand the work they’re doing.
At the end of the day, there will always be more we as an industry can do to combat fraud because, like all things, it will continue to evolve. We need to make it harder for bad actors and fairer for real artists. As we’ve done already, distributors need to enhance their KYC efforts — if you don’t know who your clients are or have a way of identifying them individually, don’t work with them. On the other side, DSPs need to be more cognizant of what’s being ingested on their platforms and build some walls to slow down the process and enable fraud identification. We’ll continue to have these conversations and fight for a fair, safe, and trusted environment for artists, songwriters, and consumers to listen and submit music to.
Jorge Brea is the Founder and CEO of Symphonic Distribution, a 100% independent company offering full-service distribution, marketing, royalty collection, and more for record labels, artists, managers, and distributors alike with footprints in Tampa, Brooklyn, Nashville, Bogotá, Mexico, South Africa, Canada, and Brazil. Jorge is an active member of the Music FIghts Fraud Alliance, was named to Billboard‘s 2024 International Power Players list, won the Music Biz 2024 #NEXTGEN_NOW One to Watch Bizzy Award, and in 2023 was on the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list.
Last month, Billboard was invited to the Spotify offices in Downtown Los Angeles to meet its top editors and curators and get an inside look at how Spotify’s playlists come together, genre-by-genre. And leading that team is Sulinna Ong, global head of editorial at Spotify. Over time, Ong has held a variety of roles at companies like Live Nation, Sony BMG Music and French streaming service Deezer, before joining Spotify in 2019. After coming aboard, she served as its Head of Music (UK) and Head of Artist and Label Services (UK) before taking the helm of editorial.
In her role, Ong has worked to evolve what playlists can be — from launching the ephemeral and personalized options like Daylist and AI DJ, to further building out the worlds of longstanding flagship playlists RapCaviar and Today’s Top Hits. These days, most of all, Ong is interested in adding more context to the playlists, as she senses Spotify users becoming increasingly interested in having more of a human touch to those listening experiences.
Trending on Billboard
To explain her strategy with Spotify’s editorial in 2025, Ong sat down with Billboard for an extended interview to explain her stance on AI music in playlists, changing user behavior, future growth markets and why she wants to bring her team of editors into the spotlight more than ever.
What are some of your goals for Spotify’s editorial team in 2025?
We’re thinking about how to make the playlists more engaging, and we think it’s a combination of short-form video and editorial. We refer to our roles as editorial, but they also involve curation. Editorial is the storytelling, the context: “Why is this important? Why is it culturally relevant?” The curation is, “What song? What artist?” There’s an art to combining both. As we look to the future, the editorial side is becoming even more critical. We are doubling down as human music editors in music discovery and trend forecasting in 2025.
What will this editorial short-form look like? And is it something that’s interactive, allowing for comments, likes, etc.?
We format this in what we call editorial Watchfeeds. That will include written track commentary, editor videos and more. We’ve been thinking about how do we incorporate social and community elements? Whether that’s commenting, liking — it’s a combination of all those things.
Spotify used to have more social-like features, like the direct message feature, which has since been removed. Do you see this move towards more social elements as a way to retain users in-app?
We want to broaden the ecosystem. We want to have our users spend as much [time] as possible and interact with one another as well. One of the editorial Watchfeeds that we did, as an early example to test the hypothesis, was Carl Chery [head of urban editorial] during the Drake–Kendrick battle. We kept getting asked, especially Carl, about what was happening. It was all coming so fast. So we did an editorial Watchfeed where we explained it in sequence. That did really well. Some of the feedback from users was, “I didn’t have to go elsewhere to find this information.” That was really interesting for me.
Why did you decide that short-form video was the right way to editorialize these playlists?
In a world where people’s attention spans are short, it made sense. Are users really going to sit and watch a 30 minute diatribe monologue before getting into the playlist? That’s not realistic.
TikTok, Reels and Shorts have been in the short-form video space for years now. Is Spotify getting on this trend too late?
We’re not a social media platform. This is a tool to expand the storytelling experience of the music and the recommendations, which is why it’s not all short-form video. It’s just one part of our toolkit. Text and track commentary is also something we want to do, so it’s not all short-form video content.
For a long time, it was Daniel Ek’s goal to make Spotify the destination for audio. More recently, that goal has expanded to video. The Watchfeed is not the first time Spotify has experimented with video. What have you learned from previous successes and failures with video on Spotify?
We experimented with longer-form video a few years ago, and it didn’t really connect. I think actually podcasts were something that were really interesting for us to watch. It was interesting to see how core video actually ended up being to the podcast experience and the podcast audience. Yes, podcasts are longer-form, but might that be interesting for a playlist experience to try some kind of video for editorializing? I come back to editorializing because that’s what podcasts do — they provide context on a topic. We thought the next step is to do that for music. It’s not exactly the same experience, it’s not like for like, but there are components of that technology that became Watchfeed.
Until now, Spotify’s curators have largely worked anonymously. Why change that?
A lot of thought went into it. When you think about the era that we’re in in terms of AI and machine learning, people want to know — is this AI or human? What’s your point of view? AI doesn’t have a point of view. We found that people actually are interested about the people behind the playlist.
Over the couple of years, Spotify has leaned into cutting edge tech-driven features like Daylist or AI DJ. In 2025, though you’re leaning into editorializing playlists. How do you see the balance between human and algorithmic aspects of playlisting today?
They live together. I’ve never seen it as an either/or situation. I think you need both and both have unique strengths. Over time the editorial role has grown. But we are still focused on the strengths of each and combining the two.
AI has played a key role in some of your newer features, like AI DJ, but how does the editorial team treat generative AI music that ends up on Spotify? Do you have any rules against playlisting it?
We are focused on human artists and the music they create. That is what we feel is really important. We did curate, though, Kito’s track [“Cold Touch”] that used Grimes’ AI voice on it. But Kito is a bonafide artist that had the blessing of another artist to use her AI likeness and voice. That is different to us. But we think very thoughtfully about our focus on supporting real, human artists. To this point so far, I have not seen a generative AI artist or track take off. That’s not to say that it won’t happen in the future, but right now, that’s not what we’re seeing.
What markets do you think will grow significantly in the next few years?
India will only be a more important player. Same with Southeast Asia. It’s interesting to look at Southeast Asia because we see Western artists actually getting their foothold in countries like the Philippines. In general, local-language content continues to grow.
I’ve been asking all of your editors the same question: What is the most common misconception about the role of a Spotify curator?
There are two. There’s that we are in service to labels and we curate what we’re told; that can’t be further from the truth. There’s an editorial independence that the editorial team has. The second misconception is that you can pay to get on an editorial playlist. I still see people claiming that they can get you on one for a price. It’s a scam. We have a code of ethics for our editors.
What are some things that are part of your code of ethics, and has your code of ethics evolved over time?
We have strict rules to protect our editorial independence, like if we get invited to a gig or a festival, and there’s an offer to cover our flights or travel, we’re not allowed to accept. If there is a reason, a business reason, for us to be there, Spotify will cover our travel. We don’t want to be beholden to anyone. And we are constantly reviewing [our code of ethics]. It’s a yearly process of, like, “Do we have the right guidelines and guardrails in place?”
There are reports that there is a super-premium tier on the way for Spotify users willing to pay an extra subscription cost. In return, they will receive new features. Are there any extra editorial offerings in the upcoming new tier?
I don’t have any info to share with you other than what you already know. We are obviously always thinking about what superfans want and what would entice them to go onto that super premium tier, but I’ve got no details to share.
Dating back to a Music Business Worldwide story in 2016, there have been reports that Spotify has used company-owned music or so-called “fake artists” or “ghost artists” in its playlists, like Peaceful Piano or Ambient Chill. Those allegations resurfaced this year in the book Mood Machine. Can you provide any comment or clarification on those allegations?
My team curates purely editorial lists. We curate playlist music from artists. Our team doesn’t touch that.
How much creative freedom do editors actually have? How often do they get the ability to go with their gut?
They’ve got a lot of freedom to do that, but you do need to critically explain why you believe in something. There’s a balance between our personal tastes and what we think will resonate with a listener. You need to understand the shift between the two. As an editor, it’s important to understand what your biases are and make sure you are not curating with bias. What I mean by that is overdoing it because I really love this artist, or [underdoing it] because I don’t. That’s why we also curate in groups, so we challenge each other. “Why is that there? Why is that not there?” It’s actually part of our training.
It sounds like the playlists operate in a tier structure. Like, an artist can get on Fresh Finds, and if it does well, then maybe the artists get onto All New Indie next. Is that right?
Yes, we have a playlist pyramid. It’s like working an artist up through the ecosystem. You can’t slam an artist into a big flagship. There needs to be a strategic approach as to how you introduce someone to a new audience.
When Spotify’s social media accounts started posting about the editorial team’s song of the summer predictions in 2024, global head of editorial Sulinna Ong noticed a lot of commenters asking the same question: Is this artificial intelligence? “I actually went in and said, ‘I can assure you we’re not AI,’ ” she says, adding that she then found herself wondering, “Do people care whether it is [AI]?” The answer was a resounding yes. Ong recalls commenters were overjoyed to be able to identify her as a warm-blooded source of the faceless predictions. The reaction amounted to a collective “This is great. You’re human!”
Having focused on high-tech improvements to playlisting over the last few years, such as the AI DJ that subscribers can utilize and improved personalized Daily Mixes, Daylist and other features, Ong says she realized listeners value human input and connection more than ever and decided to recalibrate the “equilibrium” between AI and Spotify’s flesh-and-blood tastemakers.
Trending on Billboard
“A big tenet of editorial is this idea of reflecting culture and also being able to propel culture forward,” says J.J. Italiano, head of global music curation and discovery.
As a result, Spotify’s editorial team is leaning further into its top playlists with new “Watchfeeds” — written and video content that contextualizes its choices. There’s also more freestyling involved, such as the throwback songs that Spotify head of urban music, editorial Carl Chery slips into RapCaviar on Thursdays, or the newsletter that head of indie/alternative Lizzy Szabo writes for Lorem. Ong says interactive elements such as likes and comments may be added in the future.
To further individualize their work, Spotify’s editorial team came together for a photo and spoke to Billboard about their backgrounds, their work and their favorite music. “We know that cultural knowledge is really important. AI and machine learning excel in passing large data sets and scaling, but when it comes to cultural understanding, that’s where human editors really excel,” Ong says. “But we are still focused on the strengths of both [tech and human features] and combining the two.”
Sulinna OngGlobal head of editorial
Sulinna Ong
Yuri Hasegawa
Raised in the United Kingdom, Iran and Australia, Ong caught the music bug when she heard Kim Gordon singing Sonic Youth’s “Kool Thing” as a 13-year-old. She worked in a wide array of roles for Live Nation, Sony BMG Music and French streaming service Deezer before joining Spotify in 2019. Prior to assuming her current position in 2021, Ong served as the streaming platform’s U.K. head of music and U.K. head of artist and label services.
Favorite Spotify playlists?
Misfits 2.0, Liminal.
What are your 2025 goals for the editorial team?
We’re thinking about how to make the playlists more engaging, and we think it’s a combination of short-form video and editorial. We refer to our roles as editorial, but they also involve curation. Editorial is the storytelling, the context: “Why is this important? Why is it culturally relevant?” The curation is, “What song? What artist?” There’s an art to combining both. As we look to the future, the editorial side is becoming even more critical. We are doubling down as human music editors in music discovery and trend forecasting in 2025.
Until now, Spotify’s curators have largely worked anonymously. Why change that?
AI doesn’t have a point of view. We found that people actually are interested about the people behind the playlists.
Read Ong’s full interview here.
Carl CheryHead of urban music, editorial
Carl Chery
Rebecca Sapp
After working at hip-hop magazine XXL, Chery joined Beats Music in 2012, which was folded into Apple Music in 2014. He oversaw hip-hop and R&B at both streaming services before moving to Spotify in 2018, where he leads curation for its urban music playlists, including RapCaviar.
Favorite Spotify playlists?
Locked In, Gold School.
What trends are you spotting?
I’m interested in seeing what happens with sexy drill. Drill’s been around for a long time, and it keeps morphing. If you go back five years, that’s when it really broke through with Pop Smoke and Fivio [Foreign] and the Brooklyn drill scene. Part of the conversation around drill is that its subject matter is so hardcore it’s potentially [limiting the style]. But sexy drill has a lot of appeal. I’m keeping an eye on whether this is going to finally break through as the sound du jour in hip-hop.
What are some common misconceptions about Spotify editors?
Some people think playlisting is based on favors. They don’t pitch songs based on their merits or performance. They think building a relationship with editors enhances their chance of getting playlisted. That’s never been the case. [Others] think that playlisting is based on personal taste. Technically, it doesn’t matter if we like it. One of the most important qualities for editors is to be objective, [though] this doesn’t mean that personal taste doesn’t come into play. The sweet spot is when you get to support something that is at the intersection of your taste and what the audience likes.
Ronny HoHead of dance & electronic, editorial
Ronny Ho
Yuri Hasegawa
Though Ho booked concerts and hosted radio shows in college, she first worked in investment banking, and her initial job at Spotify was in business development. During her first years at the company, she got to know the members of the editorial team because she sat next to them. After moving to Spotify’s music team as a business manager, a role opened up in editorial, and she was given a tryout despite her unorthodox résumé.
Favorite Spotify playlists?
Tech House Operator, Marrow.
Given the global popularity of dance, how do you coordinate with curators around the world to make the best playlists?
We have global curation groups. Dance was one of the first ones that started. It happened naturally with us just reaching out to curators in other markets to see what they’re seeing. We talk now on a weekly basis about new music coming out, trends that are popping off, local subgenres or communities we find interesting.
How are you discovering music for your playlists?
It’s a mix. We get inbound pitches from the Spotify for Artists pitch tool, but I am also going to shows all the time. A lot of DJs are rinsing tracks that aren’t released yet live. I’ll watch and see what the reaction is. If there’s something that really hits with a fan base, I’ll make note of it. Also, I look on the internet.
J.J. ItalianoHead of global music curation and discovery
JJ Italiano
Yuri Hasegawa
Italiano entered the music industry as an artist manager, then shifted his focus when he took a job as head of streaming at talent agency YMU in 2016. He joined Spotify’s editorial team the following year.
Favorite Spotify playlist?
Lorem.
How do you curate New Music Friday?
New Music Friday is a bit like the newspaper. We’re trying to create opportunities for people to discover new stuff that we think they will like so, yes, there’s going to be a handful of high-profile releases that you would expect. Then everyone from their respective genres comes together and brings the tracks they think are most relevant, as well as their favorite songs. Through a process of democracy and a little bit of chaos, we get it out the door.
How do you compile Spotify’s biggest playlist, Today’s Top Hits?
One of the core tenets is that it is not a chart. Yes, we want them to be 50 of the biggest songs that week, but we’re also looking at user behavior. We look at all other playlists — how songs perform with different audiences. It’s more of a science than an art, but it is still both.
Does anyone listen to songs submitted through the pitch tool?
We get pretty decent coverage by humans. There’s over 100 people at Spotify whose job it is to listen to music. We use a combination of the tools we’ve built to sort through it and hiring the right people. Also, we pay attention to songs over time and can identify things that are trending upward or being saved a lot post-release.
Alaysia SierraHead of R&B, editorial
Alaysia Sierra
Yuri Hasegawa
After cutting their teeth as a playlist curator for Apple Music, Sierra was recruited by former Apple Music colleague Carl Chery to spearhead R&B curation.
Favorite Spotify playlist?
Riffs and Runs.
What’s the process of making a playlist?
A few years ago, I noticed there was a sound that emerged out of trap-soul, like Bryson Tiller, PartyNextDoor, Brent Faiyaz. Mostly, when people think of R&B they think of women, but this subgenre of R&B caters to men. I thought, “How do I create a space for them to lean into their R&B-loving?” So we created DND, or Do Not Disturb, to feature that laid-back, masculine feel. I wrote up my ideas, what artists would make sense in the space, what it would look like and presented it.
What changes have you brought to R&B playlists?
When I came in here, I felt like there could be a fresher perspective to R&B that can cater to the TikTok era. There’s a romanticization of ’90s and pre-’90s R&B, but there are all these kids coming up who love and are inspired by the genre. I wanted to evolve R&B at Spotify to showcase that the genre can be so many things today.
Any emerging trends you are particularly excited about?
I’m really excited about U.K. R&B right now. Streaming has globalized music, and I think it’s given a lot of opportunity to that scene. We show that scene on Riffs and Runs.
John SteinHead of North America, editorial
John Stein
Yuri Hasegawa
With almost 12 years at Spotify under his belt, Stein has been involved with playlisting from the beginning. He joined Spotify when the streaming platform acquired his previous employer, the now-defunct curation app Tunigo. Stein and his team became the curators of Spotify’s Browse page, and he worked his way up to his current position.
Favorite Spotify playlist?
Fresh Finds.
How has Spotify’s editorial playlisting evolved?
Back in those early days, we were very broad — much more moods- and moments-focused. There was a real emphasis on being an alternative to terrestrial radio. We wanted to introduce some new options: “Let’s think about activities and curate for those in addition to genres.” Over time, we created strong flagship genre playlists to be anchors, but we’ve also wanted to build out spaces that hit other moments in people’s lives — hopefully pushing forward the idea of blending genres.
What’s the balance of data and human curation in playlists today?
We’re coming to a point where the algorithmic side and the human side are coming together in a really balanced, beautiful way. As a company, we’re trying to embrace the fact that AI is really good at scale and serving you what we know you already like. But [identifying] moments of surprise and serendipity and cultural awareness is really difficult for it. You need a human editor to contextualize it in a way that brings emotion to it.
Lizzy SzaboEditorial lead, indie/alternative
Lizzy Szabo
Yuri Hasegawa
Szabo got her start in music as an agent’s assistant before becoming the executive assistant for former Spotify global head of creator services Troy Carter. She wrote an essay asking to move to the editorial team and detailing what she could do to expand the company’s playlists. It worked: Szabo became an editorial coordinator and worked her way up to helm the service’s indie and alternative coverage.
Favorite Spotify playlists?
All New Indie, Wine Bar.
How do you define the term “indie”?
More and more the question is, “What even is genre?” So we try to think in terms of audiences. With All New Indie, Lorem and those playlists, we are really fluid. Some weeks we question, “Is Caroline Polachek pop or indie?” You can make the case for either, but [we conclude] she would likely work best in indie.
With smaller artists, how do you balance human curation and metrics?
It is a challenge because it feels like there’s a new breakthrough every week in indie. It’s hard to predict. When we’re looking at priority releases for the year, the truth is you might not know. Someone could come along in two months that’s going to change the game. What’s incredible about something like the Fresh Finds program is that it encourages us to go with our guts on the really tiny stuff and have somewhere to put it [for] an audience craving music discovery.
Antonio VasquezHead of U.S. Latin, editorial
Antonio Vazquez
Courtesy of Spotify
A 15-year music business vet, Vasquez began his career doing digital marketing for legacy musicians in Mexico City as social media and Facebook advertisements began to take off. Spotify then hired him as its first editor on the Mexico team. After a year, he moved to New York to start a U.S. Latin team. He’s now based in Miami.
Favorite Spotify playlists?
Fuego, Hanging Out and Relaxing.
How does the Latin editorial team work?
On the U.S. Latin team, we have a small but mighty team of three people. We have balanced our skill sets and music expertise to make sure we are covering the most Latin genres as possible. Antonella [Bocaranda] handles pop and tropical music. DC [Daniel Calderon] has his ear to the ground in Los Angeles with all things música mexicana. We always make sure that everyone has a bit of say in editorial decisions so we don’t fall [victim to] bias. Almost all priority markets in [Latin America] have their own editors locally. We work closely with them almost every day to exchange music and create a strategy.
What’s a Latin trend you’re tracking?
We’re starting to see stronger local scenes. So we need to be communicating even more across countries to make sure we are aware of what’s happening.
What’s a common misconception about Spotify editors?
That everything is data-driven. That really takes away from the heart and soul we put into our playlists every day.
Cecelia WinterEditorial lead, pop
Cecelia Winter
Yuri Hasegawa
Winter got her start in the music curation business with Spring, an app founded by elite runners that gave music fans song recommendations based on how fast they wanted to work out. After working as YouTube’s pop editor, she joined Spotify’s editorial team in 2023.
Favorite Spotify playlist?
Pop Sauce.
How do you define “pop” music?
Pop, by its traditional definition, wouldn’t allow space for smaller artists, so we are really working to create spaces where artists who are making music that sounds pop — hook-driven and following a certain structure — can grow and find their audience. It’s hard to define, but you know it when you hear it. Pop music is not as tied to commercial success as it once was either. There’s top 40, which skews pop, but those metrics of success are not accessible to the vast majority of pop musicians. [With playlists] there is now an emerging mid-tier.
What is a market that tends to lead to pop trends that later emerge in the United States?
There’s a lot of interesting music coming out of the Nordics, and there are a lot of interesting stories where American or British artists who have trouble [breaking through] in their home market really explode in the Nordics first. We saw that with Benson Boone. Our editor in the Nordics flagged him really early on.
This story appears in the April 19, 2025, issue of Billboard.
GoldState Music has raised $500 million in financing, the private investment firm announced on Thursday. Although specific details of the funding breakdown were not disclosed, the capital infusion consists of both equity and debt, and is described in a press release as a “structured capital facility… as well as separately raised leverage,” with Northleaf Capital Partners and Ares Management leading the deal.
“Our new relationship with Northleaf and Ares marks the next step in the evolution of our music investing strategy,” GoldState founder and managing partner Charles Goldstuck, said in a statement. “This additional capital will enable us to further accelerate our ability to capitalize on increasing demand for music and build a diversified portfolio of music assets across artists and genres. As leading institutional investors, Northleaf and Ares bring critical experience that will support GoldState’s continued growth and differentiation to the benefit of our artists, investors and other stakeholders.”
Northleaf is a well-known investor in the music industry, having previously financed $500 million through Lyric Capital Group for Spirit Music Group in 2021 and $75 million for Duetti last year.
Trending on Billboard
“Led by Charles, GoldState is well-positioned to execute on a disciplined music acquisition strategy, and Northleaf is pleased to support the Company and its exceptional team,” said CJ Wei, managing director, Private Credit at Northleaf. “Northleaf’s investment in GoldState directly aligns with our asset-based specialty finance strategy, which is designed to provide our investors with diversified and low correlation exposure while delivering strong cash yield.”
On the other hand, this appears to be the first music asset investment for Ares, or at least the first one they’ve publicly disclosed.
“Charles and GoldState Music bring a bold, visionary approach to music rights investment that seeks to empower artists,” Ares Management managing director Jeevan Sagoo said in a statement. “We are excited to collaborate with them and provide Ares’ deep sector and investment experience as they advance their long-term growth and value creation strategy.”
GoldState Music has acquired catalogs from two boutique music asset investors, Catchpoint Partners and AMR Songs. These catalogs feature notable tracks such as Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights,” Sheryl Crow’s “If It Makes You Happy” and Panic! At The Disco’s “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.” Additionally, they include portions of songs and recordings by artists like Brantley Gilbert, Smash Mouth, and Avril Lavigne. The acquisition also encompasses John Sebastian’s writer share of all his compositions with the Lovin’ Spoonful, including “Summer In The City,” “Daydream” and “Do You Believe In Magic,” as well as rights from his solo career, including “Welcome Back.”
The GoldState website also lists other financial backers, including Flexpoint Ford, Pinnacle Financial Partners and Regions. Prior to founding GoldState, Goldstuck has had a long career in the music industry, having held senior executive positions at various major labels before becoming president and COO of the Bertelsmann Music Group.
Attorneys for Megan Thee Stallion say Tory Lanez must be held in contempt of court over “disruptive” and “inflammatory” behavior during a recent deposition in a civil lawsuit that they say “made a mockery of the proceedings.”
In a motion filed Wednesday, lawyers for the rapper (Megan Pete) say Lanez (Daystar Peterson) – currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for shooting Megan in 2020 – behaved so poorly during the jail-house deposition that it had to be cancelled shortly after it started.
They claim he “feigned ignorance regarding the definition of basic words” and repeatedly harassed Megan’s lawyer about her appearance. They also say he “pretended that the video equipment was not working despite prison staff confirming it was functioning properly.”
Trending on Billboard
“Mr. Peterson made a mockery of the proceedings,” Megan’s attorneys write. “Nothing short of a contempt finding and meaningful sanctions will deter Mr. Peterson from continuing to abuse the process.”
On Thursday, Judge Cecilia Altonaga gave Lanez until April 30 to explain why he shouldn’t face such punishment: “Daystar Peterson is ordered to show cause why he should not be held in contempt of court for violating the court’s order authorizing his deposition.”
Lanez was convicted in December 2022 on three felony counts for shooting Megan in July 2020 during an argument following a pool party at Kylie Jenner’s house in the Hollywood Hills. In August 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He has filed an appeal, which remains pending.
This week’s dispute comes in a civil lawsuit Megan filed last year against social media personality Milagro Gramz (Milagro Cooper), who the star claims waged a “coordinated campaign” with Lanez to “defame and delegitimize” her in the wake of the shooting and trial. A judge ruled in February that the case could move ahead, saying Megan’s allegations, if later proven, “paint a picture of an intentional campaign to destroy her reputation.”
As part of that lawsuit, Megan’s lawyers asked to depose Lanez from prison, saying it was necessary to investigate the extent of Gramz’ alleged coordination with him. But in Wednesday’s filing, Megan’s attorneys say the sit-down “proved to be a waste of time” due to Lanez’s “egregious” conduct.
Among other alleged disruptions, they say Lanez repeatedly demanded dictionary definitions of basic terms before he would answer simple questions, such as the word “meet” when they asked him if he had met with his attorneys ahead of the deposition.
“It could mean a lot of things. I mean meat could be a hot dog; meat could be a steak; meat could be red meat. It could be a lot of things,” Lanez allegedly said, according to a transcript cited by Megan’s lawyers. “You know what I’m saying? You could watch porno. Meat – meat is a whole different thing over there. Meet can be anything. I’m asking you what is your definition of ‘meet.’”
Megan’s lawyers say that Lanez behavior was so bad that even his own lawyers have “disavowed it.” In emails quoted in the filing, Gramz’ attorney Michael Pancier allegedly said the incident had “wasted our time as well” and that he would not oppose “any action you wish to take” against Lanez. Pancier’s co-counsel Michael Hayden, who also represents Lanez in his California criminal appeal, was allegedly copied on the email and did not object.
Reached for comment on the filing via email on Thursday, Pancier told Billboard: “Nothing much to say as Mr. Peterson is not my client and he is not a party to this litigation, and we have nothing to do with him.” Hayden did not immediately return a request for comment.
Time to squeeze in another Publishing Briefs, our semimonthly bulletin of recent signings, deals and doings in the wide world of music publishing. Since the last time we rapped, EMPIRE Publishing hired !llmind as a senior vp of A&R and elevated Al “Butter” McLean to the role of executive vp of global creative, plus Billboard‘s Kristin Robinson made sense of the Copyright Office’s inquiry into the U.S. PRO system with this explainer.
Caught up? Here’s what else is going on:
Trending on Billboard
Reservoir Media launched PopIndia, a full-service music company in Mumbai, to sign and develop regional talent and acquire publishing and recorded music catalogs. Led by Reservoir evp of international and emerging markets Spek and PopIndia’s head of operations Ray Ahmed, the new company builds on Reservoir’s successful PopArabia model, and marks its seventh global office. PopIndia’s first major signing is Sri Lankan singer Yohani, known for her viral hit “Manike Mage Hithe.” The publishing deal includes rights to her existing catalog and future works. Yohani has become a notable voice in Bollywood soundtracks and recently released her debut album Kella. PopIndia will also manage Reservoir’s relationships with Indian rapper DIVINE and Gully Gang Entertainment, provide sub-publishing services, and offer rights management solutions in the Indian and South Asian markets. Reservoir CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi pinpointed the importance of PopIndia in the NYC-based company’s emerging markets strategy, given the market’s rapid growth. “Capitalizing on the experience and synergies across Reservoir and PopArabia, PopIndia is adapting the same model Spek has successfully implemented throughout emerging markets, with Ray building relationships on the ground in Mumbai and showcasing Reservoir’s ongoing commitment to supporting local talent worldwide,” she said.
Ultra Music Publishing is now Payday Music Publishing, following a legal dispute with Sony Music over the Ultra brand. Name change aside, Payday Publishing will continue to represent over 70,000 copyrights, including songs by major artists like Post Malone, Ed Sheeran and Drake. The company’s songwriters received multiple Grammy nominations earlier this year. The name Payday Publishing is inspired by founder Patrick Moxey’s hip-hop label, Payday Records, known for releasing music by Jay-Z and others. Moxey emphasized that only the name is changing, and the company will continue its growth and leadership in independent global music publishing. “We will continue to represent our amazing songwriters and producers and we will continue serving as the custodians and protectors of the more than 70,000 copyrights we are privileged to represent,” he said, touting “tremendous growth in recent years.” The company also announced new international writing camps for 2025, including its in-progress Coachella writing camp and an annual sync writing camp in Palm Springs.
Thrive Music, an independent dance and electronic label founded by Ricardo Vinas in 1998, partnered with Kobalt for a global publishing administration deal. Kobalt will manage Thrive’s catalog and future releases, enhancing opportunities for its artists and songwriters. Thrive has supported works from artists like Paul Oakenfold, Steve Aoki and Moby, with recent hits including ACRAZE’s “Do It To It” and Tiësto’s “Rule The World.” The label has also secured major syncs with companies like Riot Games and Hulu. “As we continue to build Thrive into a full service company, we need partners who will work alongside us to create opportunities for the artists and songwriters we work with,” said Vinas.
Sony Music Publishing Scandinavia signed acclaimed Norwegian songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Matias Téllez to a global publishing deal. Based in Bergen, Téllez has collaborated with artists like Gracie Abrams and Maisie Peters, contributing to chart-topping releases including Peters’ The Good Witch. He recently earned Songwriter of the Year at the 2025 Norwegian Music Publisher Awards and received multiple Spellemannprisen nominations. “Over the last couple of years Matias has arguably been one of the most influential in shaping the sound of modern Scandinavian diy and alternative pop music and has found global audiences for the artists he’s stood behind and worked with,” said Lasse Ewald, vp of A&R. He is managed by Sam Cantlon, Tommas Arnby, and Mike Malak of Special Projects.
Round Hill Music inked a global administration deal with LA LOM, a genre-blending Los Angeles trio featuring Zac Sokolow, Jake Faulkner and Nicholas Baker. The agreement includes creative and sync support, as well as royalty collection and catalog administration. LA LOM’s debut album, The Los Angeles League of Musicians, debuted at No. 5 on Billboard’s Tropical Albums chart. The band is set to tour in 2025, supporting Leon Bridges and Thee Sacred Souls. Round Hill’s Amy Birnbaum praised the group’s vibrant, nostalgic sound and deep connection to Los Angeles’ musical diversity and Latin heritage. “Upon seeing their live shows, we were transported to what felt like 1950’s Cuba, and we connected so deeply with the audience who joyously shared in the vibrant musical journey of LA LOM,” she said.
Polyphia, the genre-blending band known for fusing hip-hop, trap and (checks notes) prog metal, has signed a global publishing deal with Position Music. Formed in 2010 in Plano, Texas, the group’s 2022 album Remember That You Will Die includes collaborations with $not, Chino Moreno, and Steve Vai, plus production from Rodney Jerkins and Y2K. This year, Polyphia will tour with System of a Down across the U.S. and Canada. Position Music VP of A&R Delmar Powell praised guitarist Tim Henson’s boundary-pushing style and the band’s cultural influence, calling them a “perfect fit for what we’re building” at Position Music, which has a roster that includes Tinashe, Cannons, Audien, Judah & the Lion, Erik Ron, and others.
Last Publishing Briefs: Indies Sound the Alarm on GenAI
Drake has filed an updated version of his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” claiming the rival’s Super Bowl halftime show was intended to “assassinate the character of another artist.”
In an amended complaint filed late Wednesday, Drake’s attorneys say the Super Bowl show, watched by 133 million people and “million of children”, “revitalized the public’s attention” to lyrics calling Drake a “certified pedophile” – a diss that the Canadian superstar claims is false and defamatory.
“It was the first, and will hopefully be the last, Super Bowl halftime show orchestrated to assassinate the character of another artist,” writes Drake’s lawyer Michael Gottlieb.
Trending on Billboard
During the halftime show, which took place weeks after Drake had already sued UMG over “Not Like Us,” Lamar omitted the word “pedophile.” But after much speculation over whether he’d play the song at all, Kendrick really didn’t hold back otherwise – making it the centerpiece of the set and clearly rapping similar lyrics, including: “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young.”
In Wednesday’s updated lawsuit, Drake’s lawyers say the decision to censor the word “pedophile” during the broadcast failed to avoid the song’s defamatory meaning – and instead had underscored the rapper’s legal case against UMG.
“Kendrick Lamar would not have been permitted to perform during the Super Bowl Performance unless the word ‘pedophile’… was omitted from the lyrics — that is because nearly everyone understands that it is defamatory to falsely brand someone a ‘certified pedophile’,” Gottlieb wrote in the new complaint. “The NFL, as well as the corporate entities responsible for the televised and streaming broadcasts of the Super Bowl Performance, all understood the words “certified pedophile” to be unacceptable in a broadcast to millions of listeners.”
Though it added new claims, the amended complaint also softened certain accusations against UMG, like the lawsuit’s claim that the label used bots to boost the song’s streaming numbers. Drake’s lawyers removed specific allegations about a “whistleblower” and potentially “indirectly” orchestrated such a campaign: “At minimum, UMG was aware that third parties were using bots to stream the Recording and turned a blind eye, despite having the power to stop such behavior.”
In a statement to Billboard on Thursday, UMG blasted Drake and his lawyers over the latest filing, calling the case “frivolous and reckless” and saying that changes were made to the lawsuit because Drake’s team was “fearful of being sanctioned for asserting false allegations.”
“Drake, unquestionably one of the world’s most accomplished artists and with whom we’ve enjoyed at 16-year successful relationship, is being misled by his legal representatives into taking one absurd legal step after another,” UMG wrote. “Should his legal representatives senselessly keep the New York lawsuit alive, we will demonstrate that all remaining claims are without merit. It is shameful that these foolish and frivolous legal theatrics continue. They are reputationally and financially costly to Drake and have no chance of success.”
Lamar released “Not Like Us” last May amid a high-profile beef with Drake that saw the two UMG stars release a series of bruising diss tracks. The song, a knockout punch that blasted Drake as a “certified pedophile” over an infectious beat, eventually became a chart-topping hit in its own right.
In January, Drake took the unusual step of suing UMG over the song, claiming his own label had defamed him by boosting the track’s popularity. The lawsuit, which doesn’t name Lamar himself as a defendant, alleges that UMG “waged a campaign” against its own artist to spread a “malicious narrative” about pedophilia that it knew to be false.
UMG has already filed a scathing motion seeking to dismiss the case last month, arguing not only that it was “meritless” but also ridiculing Drake for suing in the first place. That motion will be refiled following the filing of Wednesday’s updated lawsuit.
In one of the case’s earliest skirmishes, Judge Jeannette A. Vargas ruled earlier this month that discovery could move ahead in the case, denying UMG’s request to halt document production and depositions until after she decides whether to dismiss the case entirely. Drake’s attorneys had already sought swathes of evidence, including Lamar’s recording contract.
Drake’s lawyers billed that decision as a major win at the time, allowing them to “see what UMG was so desperately trying to hide.” But on Thursday, UMG warned that the ruling would cut both ways: “That ‘win’ will become a loss if this frivolous and reckless lawsuit is not dropped in its entirety because Drake will personally be subject to discovery as well,” the company wrote. “As the old saying goes, ‘be careful what you wish for.’”
In their own statement Thursday, Drake’s legal team said the amended complaint “makes an already strong case stronger” than it was before: “UMG’s PR ‘spin’ and failed efforts to avoid discovery cannot suppress the facts and the truth,” Gottlieb said. “With discovery now moving forward, Drake will expose the evidence of UMG’s misconduct, and UMG will be held accountable for the consequences of its ill-conceived decisions.”
Fyre Fest 2, Billy McFarland‘s attempted second iteration of the failed 2017 Fyre Festival, has been postponed by organizers, according to multiple reports. ABC News reports that Fyre Fest 2 organizers messaged ticket holders on Wednesday (April 16) stating, “The event has been postponed and a new date will be announced. We have issued you […]
Attorneys for Sean “Diddy” Combs are asking a federal judge to postpone his sex trafficking and racketeering trial by two months, blaming prosecutors for delays and saying they cannot “in good conscience” go to trial in May.
In a letter to the judge filed Wednesday (April 16), the star’s lawyers say the feds are dragging their feet on turning over crucial evidence and that the extra two months will give them “the necessary time to prepare his defense” for a new superseding indictment that was unveiled earlier this month.
The request — far longer than the two-week delay Diddy’s lawyers had hinted they might seek — is opposed by prosecutors, according to the letter: “This is a problem that the government has created, yet it opposes our reasonable request,” write attorneys Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos.
Trending on Billboard
A spokesman for the prosecution declined to comment on Combs’ request for a two-month delay.
Combs was indicted in September, charged with running a sprawling criminal operation that aimed to “fulfill his sexual desires.” The case centers on elaborate “freak off” parties in which Combs and others would allegedly ply victims with drugs and then coerce them into having sex, as well as on alleged acts of violence to keep victims silent.
A trial has long been set to start on May 5. If convicted on all of the charges, which include sex trafficking and racketeering, Combs faces a potential life prison sentence.
At a hearing Monday, prosecutors told Judge Arun Subramanian that they believed Combs’ legal team was stalling for time, according to the Associated Press. Agnifilo said at the time that he might seek a “very short” two-week adjournment over discovery issues, and Subramanian gave them until Wednesday to file such a request: “We are a freight train moving toward trial,” the judge said.
In Wednesday’s filing seeking instead a two-month delay, Diddy’s lawyers argued that the new indictment implicates “substantially new” alleged conduct. They also said prosecutors were “still producing discovery” and had failed to turn over key materials related to a sex trafficking charge that carries a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence if Combs is convicted.
“Under these circumstances, with discovery seemingly incomplete on a 15-year mandatory minimum count, we cannot, in good conscience, go to trial on the scheduled date,” Agnifilo and Geragos wrote.
Since his indictment, Combs’ legal team has indicated that it wants to take the case against him to trial relatively quickly. After the star was refused bail in September, Agnifilo said he was “going to do everything I can to move his case as quickly as possible.” The start of jury selection for the trial has been scheduled for May 5 since October.
But superseding indictments are a common reason that judges delay criminal trials, giving a defendant more time to prepare a defense to new charges and new evidence. Federal prosecutors have argued that the April indictment was not drastically different than earlier charges, but Diddy’s attorneys say it will put them at a disadvantage.
“We note that the court has broad authority to grant such continuances where the government seeks a superseding indictment which operates to prejudice a defendant,” Agnifilo and Geragos write.