State Champ Radio Business
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Ne-Yo, MC Jin, Indian singer and actor Sonu Nigam and former Warner Music Asia co-president Jonathan Serbin have unveiled a new record label, Pacific Music Group, that will focus on talent from across the Asian continent, the group announced today (Nov. 24). Pacific, which will be based in Hong Kong, will aim to both promote local talent globally and serve as a hub for international artists who want to create a footprint in the region.
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The three artists will have A&R input and serve as mentors to the label’s talent. The label says it will include imprints focusing on pop, hip-hop, R&B, electronic music and local genres.
“Launching Pacific Music Group isn’t just a business move, it’s a personal mission,” Ne-Yo said in a statement announcing the label. “As an individual of Chinese descent, I’m proud to use my resources to help discover and elevate the next generation of talented Pan-Asian superstars. I’ve toured across Asia several times and witnessed the evolution of the music scene, so I’m really excited to make history and bring the region’s rich culture to the forefront of the global stage.”
“Asia has emerged as one of the most dynamic forces in the global music industry,” added Serbin, who spent five years overseeing Warner’s Asia operations, following five years as Billboard’s head of Asia. “With half the world’s population and three of the top 10 music markets, the region is primed to lead on the world stage. At the same time, rapidly growing markets like India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines offer immense potential. We believe the time is right for a music company born in Asia, but built with a global perspective from day one.”
Pacific’s stated goal is to reflect the global music axis around the Pacific Ocean, in a similar way that Atlantic Records set out to do when it was founded decades ago. The label says it will announce its artists in the coming months and begin releasing music soon after.
“Asia is full of talent with unique stories, fresh styles and authentic messages waiting to be shared with the world,” said MC Jin, who will oversee Pacific’s hip-hop imprint, in a statement, adding that the genre helped him find his own voice as an artist and Chinese American. “With Pacific Music Group, these individuals will now have a chance to share their art rooted in creativity and culture in an impactful way.”
“India alone has 1.6 billion people, but Indian artists want to connect well beyond our borders,” added Nigam. “The same is true across Asia. There is a hunger to grow globally and the potential to bring the richness of our cultures to the world. With Pacific Music Group, we’re not just exporting talent, we’re helping artists thrive both at home and abroad.”
Trending on Billboard Austin Daboh has left his senior role at Warner Music’s Atlantic Records after five years. Daboh, who served as executive vice president of Atlantic Records U.K., announced the news on his LinkedIn profile on Thursday (Nov. 20). Daboh also served as president of Black Music at the label from 2023 onwards. He […]
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The European Commission has formally issued a statement of objections in its ongoing investigation into Universal Music Group’s proposed $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings. This move, announced late Sunday, signals serious preliminary concerns from the EC, requiring UMG to respond.
The European Commission’s probe, officially launched in July, centers on whether UMG’s acquisition would grant it access to “commercially sensitive data” from rival labels through Downtown’s artist and label (A&L) services, which manage distribution, royalty accounting, and rights management.
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As the Commission explained in its new announcement, it is concerned that UMG “may have the ability and incentive to gain access to commercially sensitive data that is stored and processed by Downtown’s Curve, and that such an information advantage would hamper rival labels’ ability and incentive to compete with UMG.”
A statement of objections is a formal notice from the European Commission outlining its concerns in an investigation, giving the company a chance to respond, review the case file, and request an oral hearing, without determining the final outcome.
Downtown operates several platforms widely used by independent labels and artists, including the distribution services FUGA and CD Baby, the royalty accounting platform Curve, and the publishing administration provider Songtrust.
The investigation faced delays in September when the EC paused proceedings after UMG and Virgin failed to provide requested information on time. It resumed on Oct. 17, with a provisional deadline for a final decision set for Feb. 6, 2026.
UMG has maintained that the transaction will benefit artists, labels and the independent music sector in Europe. A company spokesperson told Bloomberg on Monday that UMG is cooperating constructively with regulators and remains confident the deal will go through. The company did not immediately respond to Billboard’s request for comment.
Music groups, including the European independent labels trade body IMPALA, have strongly supported the European Commission’s investigation, warning that UMG’s proposed acquisition could undermine market diversity and fair competition. They argue the deal should be blocked to safeguard smaller labels and indie artists.
In October, industry leaders from Beggars Group, WIM, AIM, Exceleration, Cooking Vinyl and dozens of other labels and organizations launched a campaign called “100 Voices”, emphasizing that the merger “poses a serious threat to competition, diversity, and fair access across the music industry.”
Last week, responding to reports of the Commission’s forthcoming objections, IMPALA issued a statement stressing the global significance of the case: “Competition and diversity in the music market in Europe, and worldwide, depend on the outcome of this decision.”
The EC’s concerns underscore wider questions about data access and growing market concentration in the music sector, positioning this review as a key test of competition policy in an increasingly data-driven music economy.
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Spotify’s stock price has fallen more than $200 below its all-time high of $785.00 set on June 27 after falling 8.2% to $583.62 in the week ended Friday (Nov. 21). The Swedish streaming giant’s share price dropped more than 7% in the two days after it announced the purchase of WhoSampled, an online song samples database, to power a new song credits feature, SongDNA.
Investors’ reaction to a relatively small acquisition appears to be part of a larger theme in recent weeks. While Spotify is one of the better-performing music stocks of 2025, it has struggled since the company announced on Sept. 30 that CEO Daniel Ek will step down and assume the role of executive chairman. Ek attempted to assuage investors who might be wary of his departure, saying in an open letter that “very little will change” when Spotify is led by co-CEOs Alex Norström and Gustav Söderström, two longtime Spotify executives. Ek added that he will operate with a European-style approach to the executive chairman position that is “more hands-on than the traditional U.S. model.”
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But investors aren’t showing much faith in the post-Ek era. Since the announcement, Spotify shares have fallen 19.9%, erasing $29.7 billion of market value.
Driven by Spotify’s 8.2% decline — the worst for all music companies this week — the Billboard Global Music Index (BGMI) fell 4.8% to 2,571.67. Eight of the index’s companies had gains while 11 finished the week with losses. The BGMI has not posted a gain in 10 weeks and now stands 17.5% below the all-time high of 3,117.20 set during the week of June 30.
Markets were down around the world this week. In the U.S., the Nasdaq fell 2.7% to 22,273.08 and the S&P 500 dropped 1.9% to 6,602.99. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 sank 1.6% to 9,539.71. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index and China’s Shanghai Composite Index each dropped 3.9%.
Warner Music Group (WMG) finished the week up 1.1% to $30.69. After releasing earnings on Thursday morning (Nov. 20), WMG shares dropped 2.7% on Thursday but gained 3.4% gain on Friday. Investors may not have received their desired message from WMG management, but analysts were upbeat about the numbers and management’s outlook. CFRA bumped WMG shares up to a “hold” rating from the “sell” rating it issued in July. Guggenheim kept its “buy” rating and $37 price target while noting that WMG’s “capital efficient” joint venture with Bain is likely to provide growth to both revenue and earnings. J.P. Morgan, which maintained its “overweight” rating and $40 price target, was “encouraged” by WMG management’s comments on margin expansion and market share gain.
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CTS Eventim shares rose 7.2% to 84.65 euros ($97.52). The German concert promoter and ticketing company released third-quarter earnings on Thursday that showed revenue rose 4%. The week’s gain brought CTS Eventim’s year-to-date gain to 0.8%.
Netease Cloud Music fell 7.1% to 189.40 HKD ($24.33) after its third-quarter earnings, released on Thursday, revealed a 2% decline in revenue. Cloud Music remains one of the year’s best-performing music stocks, however, with a 2025 gain of 68.8%.
Live Nation shares fell 3.9% to $130.55. Deutsche Bank lowered its price target to $160 from $173, which suggests 22.6% of upside based on Friday’s closing price, and maintained its “buy” rating.
The week’s greatest gainer was Cumulus Media, which rose 29% to $0.11. Such large swings are common for Cumulus, which has lost 85.7% of its value in 2025 and experiences sizable moves when it rises or falls a mere penny. With a market capitalization of just $2 million, the radio broadcaster has little effect on the BGMI.
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GloRilla has defeated a lawsuit that accused her of stealing a social media personality’s viral catchphrase “all natural, no BBL” for her 2024 song “Never Find.”
The federal copyright case was filed this summer by Natalie Henderson, aka @slimdabodylast on Instagram, who claims she coined the catchphrase referencing “Brazilian butt lift” surgery. Henderson says GloRilla (Gloria Woods) stole the phrase for her lyric “All natural, no BBL/ Mad hoes go to hell” on “Never Find,” a bonus track off her debut album Glorious.
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GloRilla’s lawyers denied any infringement and argued that nobody can copyright a “cliched” expression like “all natural, no BBL.” But it doesn’t look like a court will have to decide these substantive questions; Judge Lance M. Africk dismissed Henderson’s lawsuit on Friday (Nov. 21) based on geographical technicalities.
The suit was brought in Henderson’s home state of Louisiana, but the judge ruled that wasn’t enough to establish jurisdiction over GloRilla, a Georgia resident, or the various label defendants also named in the lawsuit — California-based Universal Music Group and Warner Chappell, Tennessee-based CMG and New York-based BMG.
Henderson tried to argue that jurisdiction was established by GloRilla doing business in New Orleans, including by attending the 2025 Super Bowl and performing at the city’s Smoothie King Center when she opened for Lil Baby’s It’s Only Us tour in 2023 and Megan Thee Stallion’s Hot Girl Summer tour in 2024. But Judge Africk was not convinced.
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“Plaintiff’s claims do not arise out of or result from defendant Woods’s concerts or personal appearances in Louisiana, particularly when plaintiff has not made any allegations that ‘Never Find’ was ever performed in Louisiana,” wrote the judge.
Judge Africk similarly rejected Henderson’s contention that the case could be brought in Louisiana because “Never Find” was distributed in the state. He noted that the song was available worldwide — and also pointed out a major hole in Henderson’s argument.
“Plaintiff relies on her counsel’s purchase of a copy of defendant Woods’s album Glorious on vinyl at a New Orleans record store as evidence that defendants ‘specifically targeted consumers in Louisiana,’” wrote the judge. “However, ‘Never Find’ was not included on the vinyl that plaintiff’s counsel purchased, as it was only released as a bonus track on an exclusive digital version of the album Glorious.”
The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning Henderson can attempt to refile the lawsuit in a different state if she so chooses. Her lawyer did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday, and neither did GloRilla’s reps.
This isn’t GloRilla’s first time defeating a copyright infringement lawsuit. Another case, which alleged her hit songs “Tomorrow” and “Tomorrow 2” sampled a decades-old hip-hop track without permission, was also dismissed out of New Orleans federal court last year for jurisdictional reasons.
GloRilla was sued again a year ago alongside Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B and Soulja Boy for supposedly sampling the 2008 Plies song “Me & My Goons” without clearance on their collaboration “Wanna Be.” That case was voluntarily dropped in March.
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The next generation of music industry visionaries, entrepreneurs and changemakers showed up in droves for the first-ever edition of Billboard Canada 40 Under 40.
Yesterday (Nov. 20) at W Toronto marked the first time Billboard‘s influential celebration came to Canada, recognizing the executives and innovators shaping the global music business. The night was in partnership with YouTube, W Toronto and Hendrick’s.
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“There’s really a lot of optimism here,” shared Richard Trapunski, National Editor at Billboard Canada. “There’s so much talent coming out of Canada that’s really shaping what’s happening in the music industry worldwide. It’s great to get a chance to celebrate those people and those voices who are pushing that conversation.”
Elizabeth Crisante, Billboard Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer, noted that many driven and successful achievers don’t get a chance to celebrate their wins.
“The interesting thing about highly ambitious people is they have laser-like focus on the goals in front of them,” she said. “Often, they may not take the time to step back and look at how far they’ve come, how much they’ve grown and how much impact they’ve had in the community — and that’s why tonight is so special.”
La Mar Taylor accepted the first-ever Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 Visionary Award, presented by YouTube. The globally successful 35-year-old is a co-founder of the culture-defining XO Records and is The Weeknd‘s longtime creative director. His work with The Weeknd, including his record-breaking After Hours Til Dawn Tour, cemented him as one of the most influential creative directors in music today.
Taylor is also building the next generation of Canadian talent through HXOUSE, the Toronto creative incubator he co-founded to provide mentorship, studio space and networking opportunities for emerging artists, designers and musicians.
In his acceptance speech, Taylor made sure to celebrate his hometown, thanking XO, The Weeknd and the HXOUSE community. He expressed enthusiasm about 40 Under 40 becoming an annual event, praising the strength of the music community in Canada that deserves recognition, while also calling for a stronger creative ecosystem in Canada.
“It’s up to us to pave the way and really bring Canada to where it needs to be. Let’s be on the journey together. Let’s kill it.”
The majority of the inaugural honourees came to celebrate, including SOCAN executive director and TMU assistant professor Dr. Charlie Wall-Andrews, MRG Live’s senior talent buyer, Samantha O’Connor, senior manager of label partnerships at Universal Music Canada, Angela De Medeiros, Sony Music Canada marketing manager, Vanessa Adams, Live Nation Canada’s director of Latin music, Ricky Taco, senior music manager at SiriusXM Canada, Siobhan Woodrow, 604 Records’ head of streaming, Julia Amodeo, Yonis, co-founder of Active Cause and many more.
Read more from the celebration here and find the full Billboard Canada 40 Under 40 list here.
Warner Music Canada Appoints New Co-GMs Julia Hummel & Madelaine Napoleone
Warner Music Canada has named Julia Hummel and Madelaine Napoleone as its new co-general managers, the company announced today.
The Toronto-based executives — both Billboard Canada Women in Music 2025 honourees, and with Hummel also recognized on Billboard Canada’s 40 Under 40 list — will jointly lead the company’s strategy across one of the world’s top music markets.
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Hummel and Napoleone will report to Eric Wong, president of East West Records and head of global A&R for recorded music at Warner Music Group.
Before their promotions, Napoleone was VP of marketing and Hummel served as VP of digital strategy and business development. Both joined Warner Music Canada in 2022.
The leadership shift arrives as Warner Music Group continues implementing a global plan to streamline operations and increase investment in music. It also follows the recent departure of Kristen Burke, who previously served as president of Warner Music Canada.
“Madelaine and I are excited to shape the next phase of Warner Music Canada’s growth,” Hummel said in an exclusive statement to Billboard Canada. “We’re committed to strengthening the bridge between our global artists and Canadian fans, and to ensuring that Canadian voices are heard on the world stage.”
“Julia and I are proud to help Canadian artists leverage Warner Music’s global network while building more opportunities for international talent here in Canada,” Napoleone added. “Our passion for music and dedication to supporting artists remain at the core of our work.”
Wong said he has “the utmost confidence” in their leadership, citing their combined expertise in marketing and digital strategy as key to advancing the company’s Canadian business.
The company also confirmed that Andy West, who served as EVP and general manager for the past three years, has exited the company.
Read more here.
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KLAY has signed AI licensing deals with the three major music companies — Universal Music Group (UMG), Sony Music and Warner Music Group (WMG) — on both the recorded music and publishing sides of their businesses.
Little is known about KLAY, which is set to launch “in the coming months,” according to a press release, but one source close to the deal tells Billboard the company will be a subscription-based interactive streaming service where users can manipulate music. In 2024, the company made its first licensing announcement with UMG, but back then, the service was described as a “Large Music Model,” dubbed “KLayMM,” which would “help humans create new music with the help of AI.”
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Since its inception, KLAY has stressed its interest in being a partner to the music industry, providing ethical solutions in the AI age, rather than an adversary. As its press release states, “KLAY is not a prompt-based meme generation engine designed to supplant human artists. Rather, it is an entirely new subscription product that will uplift great artists and celebrate their craft. Within KLAY’s system, fans can mold their musical journeys in new ways while ensuring participating artists and songwriters are properly recognized and rewarded.”
The company was founded by Ary Attie (a musician and now CEO), and Thomas Hesse (former president of global digital business and U.S. sales and distribution at Sony Music and now KLAY’s chief content and commercial officer). The company’s top ranks also include Björn Winckler (chief AI officer; former leader of Google DeepMind’s music initiatives), and Brian Whitman (chief technology officer; former principal scientist at Spotify and founder of The Echo Nest).
“Technology is shaped by the people behind it and the people who use it. At KLAY, from the beginning, we set out to earn the trust of the artists and songwriters whose work makes all of this possible,” said Attie in a statement. “We will continue to operate with those values, bringing together a growing community to reimagine how music can be shared, enjoyed, and valued. Our goal is simple: to help people experience more of the music they love, in ways that were never possible before — while helping create new value for artists and songwriters. Music is human at its core. Its future must be too.”
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Michael Nash, executive vp and chief digital officer at UMG, said: “We are very pleased to have concluded a commercial license with KLAYVision, following up on our industry-first strategic collaboration framework agreement announced one year ago. The supportive role we played with the capable and diversified management team of Ary, Thomas, Björn and Brian in the development of their product and business model extends our long-standing commitment to entrepreneurial innovation in the digital music ecosystem. We’re excited about their transformational vision and applaud their commitment to ethicality in Generative AI music, which has been a key foundation of our partnership with them from the very start of their journey.”
Dennis Kooker, president of global digital business at Sony Music, said: “We are pleased to partner with KLAY Vision to collaborate on new generative AI products. While this is a beginning, we want to work with companies that understand that proper licenses are needed from rightsholders to build next-generation AI music experiences.”
Carletta Higginson, executive vp and chief digital officer at WMG, said: “Our goal is always to support and elevate the creativity of our artists and songwriters, while fiercely protecting their rights and works. From day one, KLAY has taken the right approach to the rapidly-evolving AI universe by creating a holistic platform that both expands artistic possibilities and preserves the value of music. We appreciate the KLAY team’s work in advancing this technology and guiding these important agreements.”
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The release of CTS Eventim’s third-quarter results on Thursday (Nov. 20) marked the last earnings report from a major music company until early 2026 (a few smaller companies tend to announce much later), meaning it’s time for Billboard’s awards-style recap running down the best and worst of the bunch.
Music companies generally had a good quarter. Live Nation set yet another record for third-quarter revenue. Spotify delivered the double-digit revenue growth people have come to expect. K-pop companies delivered strong revenue growth, although earnings usually didn’t keep pace.
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In a rare occurrence, a handful of music streaming companies actually posted revenue declines. China’s Netease Cloud Music was down 2%, Deezer was off by 1% and LiveOne, hobbled by changes at Tesla, fell 42%.
Aside from the financial numbers, AI gave companies a great deal to talk about. Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group took the force-multiplier approach by announcing major AI licensing deals a day before they released earnings. Each company went into their conference calls with analysts in the immediate wake of a positive development on a hot-button topic: Recently signed agreements with AI music generator Udio, which will turn into a rights holder-friendly walled garden when it re-launches in early 2026.
For more details, check out Billboard‘s recap of all music companies’ earnings results released through Nov. 21.
Without further ado, here are the highlights from the latest round of earnings results.
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Greatest Progress on a Business Model: Sphere Entertainment Co.
It’s not difficult to find a critic of Sphere, the massive, spherical venue in Las Vegas with huge production costs and a mountain of debt, as sustained profits are a long-term project and aren’t likely to appear until Sphere franchises open in Abu Dhabi and other markets. Still, Sphere Entertainment Co. — which also includes MSG Networks — made progress in the third quarter. Sphere landed a hit with its AI-assisted update of The Wizard of Oz, which has sold over 1 million tickets to date at an average price analysts put at well over $100. Showings of Oz and other movies rose to 220 from 207 in the prior-year quarter, and a winning residency from Backstreet Boys helped the Sphere division turn a negative adjusted operating income (AOI) into $36 million of positive AOI.
Best Revenue Growth Rate, All Companies: YG Entertainment
Third quarter revenue jumped 107% to $128 million for the company behind such K-pop groups as BLACKPINK and BABYMONSTER, beating out fellow K-pop company JYP Entertainment, which topped the list last quarter with a 126% year-over-year growth rate. Because K-pop companies focus their resources on relatively small rosters, their financial results tend to have greater volatility than Western companies with far more artists under their roofs. Revenue rises and falls based on the success of a handful of new albums and tours.
Best Revenue Growth Rate, Digital Service Providers: Tencent Music Entertainment
Online music revenue jumped 27.2% to $979 million as the number of paying users rose 5.6% to 125.7 million. Tencent Music didn’t break out the number of subscribers to its high-priced Super VIP tier — it’s been at 15 million for a few quarters — but the quarter’s 10.2% increase in average revenue per user suggests that Super VIP made a positive impact.
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Best Stock Price Bump: SiriusXM
SiriusXM shares jumped 10% the day the company released earnings — not because of the results, but because the company raised its full-year guidance for revenue, adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow by $25 million. The satellite radio company, which also owns streaming brand Pandora, is trying to manage declining subscribers and a soft advertising market by cutting costs. The plan mostly worked in the third quarter as SiriusXM’s adjusted EBITDA fell just 2.5% to $676 million, and revenue fell 1%. Net cash from operating activities jumped to $430 million from $309 million in the prior-year period.
Worst Stock Price Drop: StubHub
The secondary ticketing company went public on Sept. 17 and released its first earnings report on Nov. 13. Revenue was up 11% year over year — it would have risen 24% if not for Taylor Swift ticket sales in 2024 — but the company didn’t issue guidance for the fourth quarter. Investors reacted as if StubHub was hiding bad news, and the share price dropped as much as 31% the following morning and finished the day down 21%. Right on cue, news broke on Monday (Nov. 17) that the U.K. government plans to ban the resale of tickets at a profit, causing StubHub’s stock to drop an additional 30.7% over the next four days.
Best Attempt at Earnings Call Levity: Spotify
Spotify co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek is stepping down as CEO and will be replaced by co-CEOs Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström, who are currently co-presidents. As Ek explained when the company released third-quarter results, the Nov. 4 earnings call would mark his final such appearance before he transitioned to the position of executive chairman. At the end of his introductory remarks, Ek then turned the call over to Norström. “Thanks, Daniel,” Norström said. “No pressure.”
Worst Quarter: Vivid Seats
The secondary ticketing company’s revenue plummeted 27% to $137 million and adjusted EBITDA fell to $4.9 million from $34.1 million in the prior-year quarter. The news sent the Chicago-based company’s share price down 11.3% in a single day. But Vivid Seats is taking steps to improve: It replaced CEO Stan Chia with Lawrence Fey, who was previously CFO; doubled its annualized cost-savings target to $60 million; and “simplified” its corporate structure “to maximize our operating efficiency,” the company stated in a press release. On a positive note, the news about the U.K. government’s intention to limit ticket resales to face value doesn’t hurt Vivid Seats, which has international aspirations but gets virtually all its revenue from North America.
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Don Henley and his longtime manager Irving Azoff have won dismissal of a lawsuit over their ultimately unsuccessful prosecution of three men for allegedly trying to sell stolen, original lyrics from the Eagles’ 1976 album Hotel California.
Rare book dealer Glenn Horowitz sued Henley and Azoff for malicious prosecution in February, alleging they manipulated New York prosecutors into charging him and two other innocent men. The criminal case was thrown out midway through trial last year, after Henley belatedly produced evidence relevant to whether or not the Hotel California lyric notes were truly stolen in the first place.
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Henley and Azoff say they did nothing wrong and that the collapse of the criminal case was merely based on a technicality. A judge in New York court sided with the duo in a Nov. 10 order dismissing the malicious prosecution claims as legally deficient.
“There was ample probable cause for the DA to bring a case against Mr. Horowitz; indeed, a grand jury indicted Mr. Horowitz based upon the DA’s independent and years long investigation,” wrote Justice Kathleen Waterman-Marshall. “The dismissal of the case at trial after complainant Henley produced documents — none of which were found to exculpate Mr. Horowitz — did not result from any bad faith conduct on the part of the defendants and, thus, does not change this result.”
In a statement to Billboard on Friday (Nov. 21), Henley’s attorney Dan Petrocelli said, “The only malicious prosecution was Horowitz’s own lawsuit, which the court promptly and rightly dismissed.”
Meanwhile, Horowitz’s lawyer, Caitlin Robin, told Billboard that they will appeal Justice Waterman-Marshall’s decision. Horowitz also has a separate malicious prosecution lawsuit still pending against the city of New York.
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The debacle stems from the work of journalist Ed Sanders, who was hired in the late 1970s to write a book about the Eagles. Sanders spent time at Henley’s Malibu home while working on the manuscript, which was never published — and, according to the rock star, Sanders stole his handwritten Hotel California lyrics in the process.
The lyrics resurfaced in 2012 on an auction site. Sanders allegedly sold the papers to Horowitz, who in turn sold them to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame curator Craig Inciardi and memorabilia auctioneer Ed Kosinski. Henley complained about the auction listings to various criminal authorities, and Horowitz, Inciardi and Kosinksi were indicted in New York in 2022.
All three men maintained their innocence, arguing that the lyrics were never actually stolen. The trio instead claimed Sanders legally obtained these notes from Henley in the course of writing his manuscript, so it was completely bogus for them to be charged with criminal possession of stolen property.
The case against Horowitz, Inciardi and Kosinksi went to trial in February 2024, with Henley and Azoff both testifying. But things were thrown into disarray when, weeks into the trial, Henley handed over 6,000 pages of documents that he’d previously withheld under attorney-client privilege. These documents included emails discussing Sanders’ unpublished manuscript.
Lawyers for Horowitz, Inciardi and Kosinksi all complained that these late disclosures had prevented them from fully exercising their right to prepare a defense and cross-examine Henley on all the evidence. As a result, prosecutors dropped the charges mid-trial.
Justice Curtis Farber, who oversaw the criminal case, criticized Henley and his lawyers for using attorney-client privilege “to obfuscate and hide information that they believed would be damaging to their position that the lyric sheets were stolen.”
Henley’s lawyers strongly disagree with Justice Farber’s characterization of the events. They say Henley had the absolute right to invoke the sacred attorney-client privilege, and that nothing in these documents would have weakened the criminal case against Horowitz, Inciardi and Kosinksi.
This argument appeared to sway Justice Waterman-Marshall, who said during a hearing in the civil lawsuit last month that the “dismissal was based upon the inability of Mr. Horowitz’s defense to be presented with certain information, but there’s no finding that that information was withheld by Mr. Henley or any of the defendants for an improper purpose.”
Also: UMG’s hospitality venture partners with the UN to drive music tourism, “It Feels So Good” singer Sonique signs a catalog agreement with Armada and more.
11/21/2025
