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Spotify’s first quarter revenue rose 15% as its subscriber base increased 12%, the company’s highest first quarter subscriber gains since early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the company reported on Tuesday. The music and podcast streaming giant reported total revenue of 4.2 billion euros ($4.54 billion) in the quarter ending March 31, and total paying subscribers […]
LONDON — The U.K.’s LIVE industry group (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment) has announced that contributions to its music fund has crossed the £500,000 ($668,007) milestone. The fund supports the grassroots music scene, and has been backed by stars such as Diana Ross, Pulp, Mumford & Sons and Hans Zimmer, all of whom have pledged to donate £1 ($1.30) from every ticket sale for upcoming arena shows.
LIVE campaigns and raises awareness for issues facing the U.K.’s live music scene, with a particular focus on the grassroots music scene and its workers. It represents 15 live music organizations, including the Music Venue Trust, the Music Managers Forum, Featured Artists Coalition among others.
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The LIVE Trust, established in January 2025, receives funding from a voluntary contribution of £1 per ticket from arena and stadium shows with a capacity of over 5000. A funding strategy is then implemented alongside a panel of industry experts, ensuring the funds reach venues, promoters, festivals and artists.
A proposed ticket levy has long been discussed in the U.K. to help stem the tide of grassroots music venues closures. The MVT reports that over 150 venues have closed across the U.K. since 2023, citing a number of financial challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis.
The current Labour government has supported the idea of the levy. Speaking in a parliamentary debate in January, Chris Bryant (creative industries minister) backed the idea of a levy in either format: “If the scheme does not happen voluntarily, will we make it statutory? Yes,” he said.
A number of big name acts have already committed portions from ticket sales in recent years, including Sam Fender, Katy Perry, Enter Shikari and more. Coldplay will donate 10% of the revenue from their upcoming Wembley Stadium residency to the Music Venue Trust, one of LIVE’s members. The group will play a record 10 nights at the venue in August and September.
Last week LIVE shared their Music Fans’ Voice report, which surveyed 8000 concert goers about the state of the live music industry, with 93% of respondents backing the £1 per ticket contribution.
Jon Collins, CEO of LIVE said, “This is a welcome milestone for The LIVE Trust and marks a very significant contribution to the grassroots live music sector. What this demonstrates is that there is a real appetite from performers and their teams to support the wider live ecosystem and we applaud and thank those that have already taken this initiative. Whilst this is an excellent start there is still much work to do if we are to convince government that a voluntary rather than statutory levy is both workable and sustainable.”
Chappell Roan has new management. The fast-rising superstar has signed with Drew Simmons of Foundations Music, most known for managing Noah Kahan.
Foundations’ roster also includes Laufey, Rebecca Black, Wilder Woods and producer Gabe Simon.
Simmons, who is a partner at Foundations, announced the news on Monday (April 28) after beginning to work with Roan earlier in the year. To share the news, he posted the cover art for Roan’s 2023 debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, on his Instagram. The caption read: “Thrilled to be working with Chappell Roan – it’s an honor to welcome her to Foundations.” Meanwhile, Foundations’ website features Roan on the homepage with the message: “Foundations welcomes Chappell Roan to the roster!”
Simmons also tagged the larger team, which includes Roan’s assistant Kyle Goold along with Foundations’ Lauren McKinney, Emily Harlan, Ellie Hocking, Nate Futral, Izzy Newirth, Brooks Dawson and Caroline Scofield.
Last November, Billboard broke the news that Roan had split with her then-manager, State Of the Art’s Nick Bobetsky. Bobetsky met Roan in 2018 and managed the artist through her breakout years, which included such milestones as scoring her first Billboard Hot 100 top 10 with “Good Luck, Babe!” and a top 5 entry for Midwest Princess on the Billboard 200 — plus her first slate of Grammy nominations, including in all of the Big Four categories.
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At the 2025 ceremony this February, Roan took home the award for best new artist.
Simmons was previously named to Billboard’s 2023 Managers To Watch list, amidst Kahan’s own breakout year. “There is no off-cycle anymore,” Simmons said at the time, “and that is taxing on the infrastructure around the artist but also on the artist themselves.”
And while speaking of Kahan’s foundation, The Busyhead Project, which raises funds to support and provide mental health resources, Simmons said he was “excited about opportunities ahead for artists as the paradigm shifts, placing more and more leverage in [their] hands.”
His sentiment aligns with Roan’s own vision for how artists should be treated and cared for in the industry. During her Grammys acceptance speech, she said: “I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially for developing artists.”
Roan herself donated $25,000 to Backline – a nonprofit that helps connect music industry professionals and their families with mental health resources. And in the following days, artists including Charli xcx and Kahan supported Roan in her effort, pledging to match her donation. Posting to Instagram Stories, Kahan said: “I’m inspired by you. Happy to get the ball rolling. Money where my mouth is.”
In March, Roan released her latest single, the country-inspired “The Giver.” The song debuted atop Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart dated March 29.
Republic Records will be the label honoree at the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame Gala, which will take place on Friday, May 16 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. John Mellencamp and Conan Gray are set to perform at the event to lead the tribute. Atlantic Records was the initial label honoree […]
For Leslie Fram, the highly respected former senior vp of music and talent for CMT, launching her own company that continues her work advocating and amplifying artists’ voices is a natural move.
Fram, Billboard’s 2021 Country Power Players executive of the year, has founded FEMco (Fram Entertainment & Music), a consulting company with divisions focused on artist development, talent booking and production, as well as a B2B arm that will connect outside businesses to Nashville companies.
“I’ve always wanted to start my own company, leveraging my three decades of accumulated experience and opportunities to intentionally design a purpose-driven business that aligns with my personal and professional aspirations,” Fram tells Billboard. “Through my time in radio and television, I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge, skills and insights from various roles, industries and projects that are not just a collection of past events but a foundation for future endeavors with FEMco. Starting my own company, doing what I enjoy most, was the best choice for me.”
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The new company will allow Fram to use her estimable mentoring, community-building and networking skills that she put into practice during her 13-year tenure at CMT, which she left in September. While there, Fram launched a number of programs, including CMT’s Next Women of Country, which gave a platform to nascent female country artists. She also created the Next Women of Country Tour, which paired Next Women of Country participants with established headlining acts. She was also a fierce advocate for equity, pushing CMT to institute its Equal Play initiative, with a commitment to 50/50 video airplay for female artists on the TV network and CMT Music channels.
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While at CMT, Fram executive-produced the annual CMT Music Awards, CMT Crossroads and Storytellers. In January, she served as talent producer on CBS Presents Ringo & Friends at the Ryman. Prior to CMT, she had an illustrious background in rock and alternative radio, serving as program director and on-air talent at influential Atlanta alternative rock station 99X before becoming program director and morning show co-host with Matt Pinfield at New York rock station WRXP. She moved to Nashville in 2011.
While FEMco’s other divisions focus on all genders, keeping with her groundbreaking work with female country artists at CMT, Fram has already launched FEMco Presents, “the company’s music-focused production arm that will create multiple opportunities for female artists to increase their visibility and reach via events, sponsorships and more,” Fram says. The first franchise under FEMco Presents is FEMcountry, which will work with women country artists as “a continuation of my work in creating programs like ‘Next Women of Country’ and my passion for elevating female voices in country,” she adds.
FEMcountry soft-launched in March with a singer-songwriter event at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Georgia. “Moving forward, FEMcountry will include writer’s rounds, showcases, listening events both in Nashville and nationwide, along with curating festivals,” Fram says. “The goal is to support female artists in all aspects of their career, finding a stage to play on and to get paid.”
Fram sees her new venture as a through-line in her decades-long work supporting artists. “FEMco will absolutely represent the work I did at CMT in elevating women in country music via FEMcountry,” she says. “A program like ‘Next Women of Country’ is still as relevant today as it was when I launched it over 10 years ago — women are still criminally underrepresented in the country music format.”
Fram also plans to launch FEMpop and FEMrock.
The B2B element will connect companies and brands looking to establish a presence in Nashville with the local music and entertainment market. “Through our extensive industry relationships, we are able to help navigate the city’s unique blend of creativity and commerce with relationships to build authenticity and visibility,” Fram says.
Through FEMco, Fram will also continue working with mtheory CEO Cameo Carlson on another former CMT program, Equal Access, which helps artists and management professionals break into the country music industry.
FEMco will work with artists and companies on an a la carte basis depending upon their individual needs, Fram says.
Mike Van has been elevated to the role of CEO of Billboard — the first time anyone has held the role.
In this position, Van will oversee Billboard’s global brand footprint in 15 countries, along with all aspects of strategy, revenue, business operations, live experiences, international licensing and brand partnerships. Van will oversee both the business and editorial teams, with Billboard editor-in-chief Hannah Karp now reporting to him directly.
Van has served as the president of Billboard since 2022, driving double-digit revenue growth and expanding the brand’s global presence. Van has also driven Billboard‘s digital transformation and continued to develop cutting-edge live experiences, including Latin Music Week, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, THE STAGE at SXSW, the Billboard Music Awards and Billboard Women in Music.
Van will report to Jay Penske, chairman and CEO, Penske Media Corporation.
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“Mike is a one-of-a-kind leader, visionary and partner,” Penske said. “His passion for the Billboard brand and clear vision for its future has always set him apart. Mike has fostered a collaborative environment with a team committed to building a formidable global business – innovating and trailblazing at every level. It has been inspiring to watch Billboard’s seismic growth over the last several years and I look forward to seeing the brand continue to thrive under Mike’s leadership.”
“It is the honor of a lifetime to lead Billboard and the team,” Van said. “Together, we have cultivated a culture of excellence. What we’ve built over the last several years has been nothing short of extraordinary, particularly in a media landscape marked by contraction and consolidation. I am deeply proud to carry this legacy forward as we shape the next 125 years by continuing to celebrate artist and executive achievements through our charts, content, global IP expansion and evolving our signature live experiences, cementing our position as the definitive voice of music business and culture.”
Van’s career has spanned media, entertainment and business transformation. He has held leadership positions at Billboard for the last seven years before serving as president. In addition to his time with Billboard, Van brings more than 25 years of marketing and monetization experience, including leadership roles at Pandora, Electronic Arts and Complex.
Proving that the best way to get stock prices to rally is to first bury them deep underground, markets surged this week as President Trump eased his tone on U.S. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell and said tariff negotiations with China are ongoing (although China denied the claim).
The 20-company Billboard Global Music Index surged 6.1% to 2,595.95, marking its third consecutive weekly gain after falling 10.9% in the two-week period ended April 4. The spoils of a less chaotic global market were felt by nearly all music stocks. Of the 20 stocks in the index, 16 finished the week in positive territory, and two — Anghami and Sphere Entertainment Co. — had gains exceeding 10%.
Major indexes improved this week as investor sentiment regarding U.S. tariff policy improved and President Trumpsaid he would not fire Powell. The Nasdaq composite rose 6.7% to 17,382.94 and the S&P 500 gained 4.6% to 5,525.21. The U.K.’s FTSE 100 improved 1.7% to 8,415.25. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index rose 2.5% to 2,546.30. China’s SSE Composite Index rose 0.6% to 3,295.06.
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After investors’ confusion about the U.S. tariff policy put a damper on stocks in recent weeks, markets seemed to find comfort in reports that said the U.S. Trade Representative was quickly working with some trading partners under a streamlined process. Jay Hatfield, founder/chief investment officer of InfraCap, told CNBC, “We’ve reached peak tariff tantrum” and believes the worst of the uncertainty has passed. In fact, the market could have been due for a rebound. Thomas Martin, senior portfolio manager at GLOBALT in Atlanta, told Reuters the stock market “was oversold by virtually all measures.”
Sphere Entertainment Co. was one of the week’s winners, rising 13.8% to $28.88. On Friday, Sphere Entertainment subsidiary MSG Networks announced it had negotiated a $514 million reduction in its debt and lower fees to broadcast New York Knicks and New York Rangers games. The news sent Sphere’s share price up 9.1%.
Spotify, which reports first quarter earnings on Tuesday (April 29), rose 8.1% to $620.72, giving the streaming giant a 23.3% gain over the past three weeks. This week, UBS lowered its price target to $680 from $690 and Wolfe Research raised its outlook on SPOT to “outperform” from “peer perform.”
Live Nation gained 4.4% to $132.76. Wolfe Research lowered its price target to $158 from $165 and maintained its “outperform” rating.
Warner Music Group (WMG) improved 2.4% to $29.83. Morgan Stanley lowered WMG shares to $32 from $37 and dropped the rating to “equalweight” from “overweight.” Universal Music Group (UMG), which also reports earnings on Tuesday, rose 3.5% to 24.79 euros ($28.28), bringing its year-to-date gain to 3.7%.
K-pop stocks had an unremarkable week after performing well during the tariff-driven chaos. HYBE, which, like Spotify and UMG, reports first-quarter earnings on Tuesday, rose 0.9%. SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment improved 0.6% and 0.2%, respectively. YG Entertainment dropped 4.9%. Still, K-pop stocks are outperforming most music stocks this year. Collectively, the four South Korean music companies have posted an average year-to-date gain of 27.1%.
Cumulus Media shares dropped 16.0% to $0.21 after the company announced on Wednesday (April 23) it will de-list from the Nasdaq exchange on May 2 and immediately begin trading over the counter. The radio broadcaster’s shares are down 72.7% in 2025 and have fallen 92.2% over the last 52 weeks.
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Spotify gets more engagement — much more — than its competitors in the music subscription space.
In the second quarter of 2024, the average Spotify Premium listener spent 4.9 hours per week listening to music, according to a MusicWatch survey of U.S. consumers that excluded time spent listening to podcasts and audiobooks. That easily bested Apple Music (2.3 hours), Amazon Music Unlimited (2.0 hours) and Amazon Prime (1.3 hours). These ratios have been fairly consistent over the past five years, with Spotify having an approximately 2.0 to 2.5-times advantage over its nearest competitor.
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Last year, Spotify executives described “the Spotify machine” as multiple verticals working together to give consumers more content choices and increase engagement. Podcasts, which are a natural fit for a music service built on audio advertising, offered the promise of keeping people listening longer. The same goes for audiobooks, which Spotify began streaming in the U.S. in 2023. Product features such as Spotify Wrapped and Discover Weekly are also intended to keep people listening.
Judging from statements made by Spotify’s executives, the Spotify machine is working as intended. In November, CEO Daniel Ek said that “overall, Spotify keeps bringing up engagement and bringing down churn,” the term for a subscription service’s subscriber losses. In July, Ek said the company was seeing “healthy MAU [monthly active user] engagement trends year-over-year.”
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But Spotify’s own numbers show its average global user’s listening time has remained steady over the past six years. According to data available in Spotify’s annual reports, the service had an average of 24.8 hours per monthly average user (MAU) per month in 2024, down slightly from 25.2 hours per month in 2023 and on par with the preceding four years (24.6 in 2022, 24.4 in 2021, 24.9 in 2020 and 25.5 in 2019). These listening averages cover music, podcasts and audiobooks.
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So, based on Spotify’s publicly available figures for global listening hours and MAUs, the average user’s listening time has not increased as hundreds of millions of new users have flocked to the platform.
Why the disconnect? How can Spotify executives say that engagement is growing while its own numbers show flat engagement? Perhaps engagement has increased within pockets of Spotify users. MusicWatch’s Russ Crupnick believes that in the U.S., Spotify’s late adopters are relatively light users who balance out the higher streaming activity of earlier adopters. In that scenario, if Spotify is adding listeners, it will always have new listeners to drag down other listeners’ increasing listening time.
Geographical differences could be at play, too, based on the length of time Spotify has been in each market. In July, Ek described engagement in mature markets as “high” but chose the word “different” for engagement in emerging markets. Based on his choice of words, engagement differs depending on the length of time Spotify has been in a market.
But in the U.S., at least, the time spent listening to music on Spotify has remained “reasonably” steady over the years, says Crupnick. In fact, Spotify’s weekly listening time was “actually a bit higher a few years ago,” he says. Again, the listening habits of late adopters are a reasonable explanation.
It’s worth noting that MusicWatch’s figures exclude podcast and audiobook listening. If Spotify has been able to maintain weekly music listening over the years, it stands to reason that podcasts and audiobooks have provided incremental engagement. Spotify’s lucrative, exclusive deal with The Joe Rogan Experience worked so well that Spotify became the top network for podcast listening in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2023. Last year, Spotify ranked No. 2 behind YouTube for podcast listening (26% to YouTube’s 33% and Apple Podcast’s 14%), according to Edison Research’s The Infinite Dial 2025 report.
In the subscription business, engagement is king. It leads to more subscriptions, lower subscriber churn and a better “lifetime value,” or LTV, a metric that quantifies the present value of future revenue from a subscriber. Stronger engagement gives companies the confidence to raise prices, as Spotify has recently done, and launch superfan tiers, as Spotify has teased, that offer additional bells and whistles for a higher price.
The ability to keep people listening — and be better at it than your peers — can also be a competitive advantage. One reason Spotify has a market capitalization of more than $110 billion is because investors believe Spotify is a “best in class” service that merits such a high share price.
There’s an incredible amount of product innovation going on at music subscription services. Apple Music recently launched three more live, global radio stations. Amazon Music Unlimited offers hands-free listening with Alexa. Both services provide high-quality audio at no extra cost. But Spotify has succeeded in keeping people listening longer.
Music Canada has applied to intervene in a key Canadian music policy battle.
The organization, which advocates for the major labels in Canada, is seeking leave to intervene in the legal challenge over the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC’s) 2024 decision that major streaming services must pay into Canadian content funds as part of the implementation of the Online Streaming Act.
The mandate specifies that foreign-owned services with more than $25 million in annual revenue contribute 5% of that revenue to funding bodies like FACTOR and Musicaction and an in-development Indigenous Music Fund.
That decision has become a major battle in the Canadian music industry. Organizations like the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) and the Indigenous Music Office have welcomed it. Others, like the Digital Media Association (DIMA), which represents the major streamers, have been fiercely critical of what they call the “streaming tax.”
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In December, the Federal Court of Appeal paused the mandated payments until an appeal of the decision is heard this year.
Now, Music Canada is wading into the legal challenge, aiming to speak to what it calls the potential harms the regulation may cause to existing investments made by streaming companies in the country.
“Specifically, we are asking the court to consider music streaming services’ direct investments in Canada among qualifying contributions,” reads a statement from Music Canada. “We are concerned that the CRTC’s base contributions decision risks harming ongoing and direct investments in the Canadian music streaming market and Canadian and Indigenous artists.”
Music Canada points out that streaming services have dedicated teams in Canada, investing in programs and initiatives that support Canadian and Indigenous musicians.
“In setting the 5% levy, the CRTC did not take into account or recognize any of the investments made by music streaming services in Canada,” they write.
However, in a previous interview with Billboard Canada, CIMA president Andrew Cash argued that the investments streamers currently make aren’t comparable to the career development enabled by Canadian organizations like FACTOR and Musicaction.
“Over the last five years, FACTOR has supported over 6,500 artists across the country,” he said, pointing to artists like Charlotte Cardin and The Weeknd as just two musicians who received key early investment from FACTOR.
Music Canada also takes issue with the fact that a portion of the base contributions will be used for a news fund that isn’t specifically related to music. (Specifically, 1.5% of the 5% contributions are mandated for “a new temporary fund supporting local news production by commercial radio stations outside of the designated markets.”)
“While support for news is a laudable goal, it should not come at the expense of artists who are already trying to compete in a highly competitive, global music marketplace,” Music Canada’s statement reads.
Read more here. – Rosie Long Decter
More Than 150 Canadian Musicians Sign Open Letter Against Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre Ahead of Canadian Election
Canadian musicians are making their election choices known.
More than 150 musicians have signed a new letter from Music Votes Canada that aims to stop conservative leader Pierre Poilievre from winning the federal election on Monday (April 28).
“An Open Letter to Canadians: Why We Must Stop Pierre Poilievre from Becoming Prime Minister” features major signatories like Allison Russell, Dan Mangan, Raffi, Torquil Campbell (Stars), Haley Blais, Charlotte Cornfield and Damian Abraham (F—ed Up).
Also signing on was The Weather Station, who last week, upon returning home from a tour through the U.S., published an impassioned plea for Canadians to stay engaged in the election.
“Music comes from a place of deep love, and as musicians, we want to use the power of music to help bring our country together in this time of poly crises,” the letter reads.
Canadians are at a crossroads, the letter continued, stating that the “federal election on April 28th is possibly the most important in our country’s history.” It goes on to argue that Poilievre’s platform runs counter to “Canada’s core values” such as public services, climate action and inclusive democracy.
“His agenda echoes Donald Trump’s playbook: sowing division, empowering the wealthy, and weakening institutions that unite us,” it reads.
The letter highlights several parts of the Conservative campaign that are particularly concerning for musicians: Poilievre’s threats to public broadcaster CBC; his commitments to expanding fossil fuel production amidst the climate crisis; and rhetoric that is “fostering division instead of unity” when it comes to marginalized communities.
The letter calls for leaders to ensure that every Canadian has a safe, affordable home; to tackle the climate crisis; to tax corporate profits; and to support arts and culture in Canada through a 1% commitment of the federal budget to the arts.
Outside of its anti-Poilievre position, Music Votes Canada doesn’t explicitly endorse any particular party or candidate in the letter. Instead, it concludes by calling on voters to support candidates who are best positioned to defeat the Conservative Party, endorsing resources such as Cooperate for Canada and Lead Now, which provide candidate and riding guides.
One major Canadian star has come out with a strong endorsement of a specific candidate: Neil Young, who is putting his support behind Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals in a letter titled “I’m With You, Mr. Carney.”
Though Young now has dual citizenship with the U.S >, as he writes on his website, “I am a Canadian and always will be.” He goes on to reminisce about his childhood in Ontario and Manitoba and express gratitude for the platform he has built to speak truth to power.
“Canada is facing threats to its very existence, incredibly from people we thought were our friends,” Young writes. “They want our resources, they want our land, they want our fisheries, they want our water, they want our Arctic, maybe they want our souls. I know the U.S. president could use a soul.”
Addressing Carney directly, he writes, “I believe you are the person our country needs to lead us through this crazy situation and bring us out the other side as a stronger, smarter, more resilient Canada, our core values of caring and fairness and generosity intact, along with our souls.”
Read more here. – RLD
Nigerian Music Executives Ikenna Nwagboso and Camillo Doregos Launch Hi-Way 89 Entertainment in Canada
There’s a new music company bridging Canada and Africa.
Hi-Way 89 Entertainment is a new Canadian music company headquartered between Toronto and Calgary, founded by two Nigerian-Canadian music executives — Ikenna Nwagboso and Camillo Doregos — who both have deep experience in breaking African artists on the international stage.
The new company will focus on providing artist development and label services, concentrating on artists from both Canada and Africa. Its first signing is Canadian pop/R&B singer Chrissy Spratt, who on Friday (April 25) released a new single on the label, “In Too Deep,” with distribution through Vydia/gamma.
“We are a Canadian company and, with the tremendous success we’ve had exporting African music globally, we want to do the same thing in Canada, working with Canadian artists and showing the world the gem that is Canada, and the amount of talent here,” Nwagboso said in a statement. “We understand what it takes to develop global superstars and we have the knowledge, access, resources, contacts, and partnerships to make that happen.”
Nwagboso and Doregos are now based in Toronto and Calgary, respectively. Nwagboso previously co-founded African music company emPawa Africa in 2018, serving as global head of label services and partnerships before stepping down in January. In that role, he oversaw the signing and development of artists including GuiltyBeatz, Joeboy, Fave, King Promise, Minz, Xenia Manasseh, Nandy, Tekno and Nezsa.
Nwagboso also led emPawa Africa’s flagship initiatives: the emPawa 100 and emPawa 30 campaigns, which developed 130 emerging artists from across the continent. Nwagboso is also a co-founder of Exodus Music Group, home to artists Geo Baddoo (U.K.), Nezsa (Canada/Nigeria) and Zubi (Nigeria).
Doregos, previously a manager for Mr Eazi, is the founder of DC Talent Agency, the management company behind Nigerian music stars Pheelz and Kah-Lo and South African amapiano duo TxC. He also operates a booking agency, DC Talent Agency, that has secured festival appearances, live shows and brand deals for artists including Rema, Wizkid, Davido and Moliy.
Hi-Way 89 aims to “cast a wide net with our signings,” the company said, but the initial focus will be on acts from Canada and Africa. In addition to Spratt, the first round of signings includes Nigerian artist Siraheem and South African DJ Chelsea Sloan.
The new label has high hopes for Spratt. The Ottawa artist has made a major splash on Instagram and TikTok, with an audience now numbering more than 5.5 million followers between the two platforms. There, she has grabbed attention with covers of songs ranging from R&B to Latin, with her versions of Afrobeats hits like Kizz Daniel’s “Cough (Odo)” and Ckay’s “Love Nwantiti” especially connecting with listeners in Nigeria and earning endorsements from top Nigerian artists.
Spratt is now concentrating on original music, and Hi-Way 89 plans to release her debut EP this summer. “In Too Deep” was produced by Grammy Award winner Daramola (Danny Ocean, Kapo), while the EP will feature such collaborators as Nonso Amadi, Tems’ “Higher” producer Tejiri, and Canadian songwriting team Coleman Hell & La+ch. – Kerry Doole
SGAE, the collective management organization in Spain, took in the most money in its history in 2024, 390 million euros, or $422 million based on the average 2024 Euro-dollar conversion rate, it announced. That’s up 41 million euros ($44.4 million), or 11.7%, from 2023. The organization distributed more than 349 million euros ($377.6 million) to rightsholders, up 6%, its second-highest distribution ever. It also lowered its administration fees, resulting in an increase in distributions of 6.7 million euros ($7.3 million).
Unsurprisingly, the fastest-growing category of revenue was digital, which came in at 60 million euros ($64.9 million), up 25% over 2023. Of that revenue, more than 55% came from streaming, while 43% came from audiovisual content.
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The biggest source of revenue was TV and radio, which reached 110 million euros ($119 million) in 2024, up 18.9% over the previous year. Some of that bump comes from private TV companies paying for previous uses of music.
Concert collections also grew, increasing 16.2% to 64.1 million euros ($69.4 million). Much of that money came from live pop music, which brought in 48.7 million euros ($52.7 million), up 7.4%. The biggest shows were performances by Karol G, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, and Metallica.
Foreign revenue reached 35.2 million euros ($38.1 million), up 15.4%. The biggest source of that revenue was Europe, especially France and Italy, followed by Latin America, various Caribbean countries, the U.S., and Canada.
Revenue from private copying, the levies charged by collecting societies on blank memory and associated products, reached 16.2 million euros ($17.5 million). That represents a gain of 57.2% over regular collections in 2023, but a decrease of 38.1% once a special payment from 2023 is included. Mechanical rights revenue also climbed, by 11.8%, thanks to the vinyl boom, to 3.8 million euros ($4.1 million).