International
Page: 8
If investors and music companies want high streaming growth rates, they should look beyond the suddenly sluggish U.S. market.
Of the few countries that have released midyear recorded music industry figures, the U.S. has the lowest growth rate for streaming — by far. Japan, Brazil, Italy, Germany and Spain each easily bested the 3.8% growth rate mustered by the U.S. in the first half of 2024, though they are far smaller markets.
In Brazil, the ninth-largest market in 2023, streaming revenue improved 21.1% to 1.442 billion BRL ($284 million) in the first half of 2024, according to the country’s trade group, Pro-Música Brasil. Subscription revenue rocketed 28.4% to 995 million BRL ($196 million) while ad-supported streaming rose just 6.6% to 436 million BRL ($86 million).
Streaming accounts for 99% of total revenue in Brazil, a market that was early to adopt streaming platforms. (Pro-Música Brasil did not include synch and performance royalties in the midyear numbers. In 2023, those two segments accounted for 12% of Brazil’s total revenue.) The former internet radio service Rdio — acquired by Pandora in 2015 — launched in Brazil in 2011. Muve Music, acquired by Deezer in 2015, launched a partnership with leading mobile carrier TIM in 2013. Deezer still powers TIM’s music streaming platform and extended that partnership in January.
Trending on Billboard
Important markets in Asia and Europe also delivered impressive streaming gains in the first half of the year. Spain nearly matched Brazil with 19.1% streaming growth and a 16.6% improvement in total revenue. In Italy, recorded music revenue jumped 15.1% and streaming revenue, which accounts for 80% of the total market, grew 18.1%. (Figures in currency were not provided by Italy’s trade group, FIMI.) The world’s second- and fourth-largest markets, Japan and Germany, had streaming gains of 12.7% and 9.0%, respectively.
In aggregate, the five ex-U.S. markets grew 12.2% compared to the first half of 2023, with the smallest markets having the highest streaming growth rates. Brazil’s market is less than 3% the size of the U.S., while Spain and Italy are 3% and 4% the size of the world’s largest market, respectively. Germany’s market is 15% as big as the U.S. Japan is just a quarter of its size.
What the U.S. lacks in momentum it makes up for in size. Based on total market revenue for 2023, the U.S. was more than twice the size of the five ex-U.S. markets combined — $11.04 billion to $5.47 billion, according to IFPI figures. In fact, the U.S. is so large that a 3.8% streaming gain was worth $404 million — more than the entire Spanish recorded music market ($355 million) and nearly as big as Italy’s ($477 million). To reiterate, that’s not just streaming — we’re talking about those countries’ entire market revenue.
The rate of streaming growth underpins much of the money flowing into the music business. Investors and companies are betting the global market can generate nearly double-digit growth through the end of the decade. The latest Goldman Sachs “Music in the Air” report, a standard reference point for gauging the potential of music as an investment, forecasts that global streaming revenue will grow at a 10% compound annual growth rate through 2030. That would turn last year’s $19.3 billion streaming market into $37.8 billion by the end of the decade.
But the enormity of the U.S. market, which accounted for 42% of global streaming revenue in 2023, according to the IFPI, means other markets will need to continue those rapid paces for the global market to maintain that 10% streaming growth rate. The five ex-U.S. markets’ 12.2% growth rate is nearly halved to 6.4% when their $5.47 billion total value is combined with the U.S. market, which is worth $11.04 billion.
Developing markets certainly have the potential to contribute to global growth, but many of the most populous countries — India, Indonesia, the Philippines — are relatively small and based more on advertising than high-value subscriptions. For the math to work, the global market needs a strong U.S.
In July, more than 420,000 people competed for tickets to The Weeknd‘s highly anticipated show in São Paulo, Brazil, scheduled for Saturday (Sept. 7) and just under a year after his last visit to the country. The overwhelming success of “Blinding Lights” gave the 34-year-old Canadian the title of most popular artist on the planet by Guinness World Records in March of last year (which he just lost to Billie Eilish). On Billboard’s Hot 100, the song reached the top, remained among the most listened to for 90 weeks and boosted the popularity of his albums After Hours (2020) and Dawn FM (2022). It holds the title of being the biggest song in all Hot 100 history.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Only 16% of those 420,000 people got the chance to see Abel Tesfaye in person. Being successful in the competitive music industry did not exempt the composer, however, from struggling with his mental health. But, according to him, giving up was never in his plans. One of the keywords of his new phase is “rebirth.”
Trending on Billboard
The choice of the capital of São Paulo for the start of this tour was not a coincidence. The Weeknd visited the city last October, performing two sold-out nights at Allianz Parque with the show After Hours Til Dawn. It was in São Paulo that Tesfaye composed the central song of the new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow – affectionately nicknamed “Frankenstein” by the singer for exploring different sounds, but without losing its essence — something he does masterfully.
The Canadian details the importance of the Brazilian public for the next steps in his career, which has lasted 14 years and includes great achievements such as being the most listened to artist on Spotify (until Billie surpassed him in August), with 105 million monthly listeners, winning four Grammy Awards (despite not submitting his work for the awards since 2021, as a statement that shook the industry) and having almost $500 million in gross sales with the After Hours Til Dawn Tour, which filled stadiums around the world.
“I can speak for all artists when I say it’s hard to put into words the love and energy that the Brazilian people express when you’re on stage,” says The Weeknd in an exclusive interview with Billboard Brazil. “You feel the music so deeply. São Paulo and Rio reminded me that the frequencies we radiate as musicians are important. They remind me why I wanted to make music: to connect. I’ll spend the rest of my life knowing that.”
The broadness of The Weeknd’s discography is another factor that explains such success. He navigates the world very well to the pop, R&B, electropop and other genres, and he is spot-on in his dark lyricism when sings about the pains of love, fame and the challenges he faced (and still faces) to make a living from music. Shortly after announcing the concert in Brazil, the singer spoke on social media about “facing the abyss”. “It can mean many things. For me, it is something very specific,” he says in the interview, in a mysterious mood. “I faced it long enough. Most of the time, I overcame it. But I work on it every day. I hope that [my music] helps others face and overcome the abyss, too.”
One of the abysses Tesfaye faces is mental health. “What makes a grown man want to cry? / What makes him want to take his own life? / His happiness is never real,” he sings on 2018’s “I Was Never There.” In his faith—he was raised in an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian family—and in music, the Canadian has found comfort to overcome the most difficult moments. “I think about giving up every day. But I also find purpose every day,” says the singer, unafraid to open up and show his vulnerability. “My relationship with God is stronger than ever. I find comfort in His presence when I need it most. I talk to Him constantly. It’s been a long journey, but I’m here,” concludes the artist.
Tesfaye was born in Toronto, Canada, the son of Ethiopian immigrants. Inspired by Michael Jackson, he discovered his love for music at a young age. The artist has revealed that he was penalized for singing at inopportune times, such as during school classes or at the dinner table. Despite being discouraged, he released his first mixtape as The Weeknd, House of Balloons, in 2011, while splitting his time between art and work at a North American clothing retailer. The project entered the Billboard 200, anticipating the success of subsequent releases. “Wicked Games,” the first single, debuted at No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2013. In the following years, he reached No. 1 on the chart with hits such as “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Save Your Tears” and “Die For You.”
When asked about taking care of his mind, the singer is even more honest. Brutally honest, as rarely seen in showbiz. “It’s funny you should mention this [mental health]. I just had a panic attack right before this interview. My anxiety is a constant battle, and I feel like it never goes away. I’m learning to control it, but I’ve already realized that it’s part of my life. I can’t escape it.”
Tesfaye spent part of his adolescence living on the streets, but he assures us: the main difficulty he faced in life was questioning his purpose and his connection with art. “The biggest challenge is not knowing if you were made for this, not knowing if it was meant to be. Most people still don’t know. I feel very lucky. I was able to take these depressive and nihilistic feelings and put them into my work. That ended up being my therapy,” he says, citing the philosophical school of thought that believes life has no value or purpose, often associated with the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.
On YouTube, The Weeknd has accumulated almost 28 billion views on his channel. “Call Out My Name,” “The Hills” and “Starboy” are also part of his extensive list of hits. Expectations for his new era are high – both from fans and music critics. Dawn FM, released in January 2022, was acclaimed by the British newspaper The Guardian, from which it received the highest score: “Abel Tesfaye confirms his status as one of the greatest of all time with an album of icy splendor influenced by the 1980s”.
Another newspaper that praised the album was The New York Times. “His fifth album […] is elegant and vigorous and also, once again, a light reinterpretation of what big-scale music can sound like today, in an era in which most global stars have abandoned that concept.”
“There is always pressure to surpass my last project,” he says about the new era, presented for the first time at the show in São Paulo. “Growth is important. Sometimes it may not be what people want to hear from me at the moment, but, when the body of work is complete, I hope they can appreciate what I have been trying to achieve. I have been working on this discography for a long time. It was all planned,” he assures, escaping from the monotony. “I always try to achieve something that I haven’t done before musically. Sometimes it may not be clear on the first listen [to the album], but fans seem to figure it out over time,” he believes. Being at the top, for the Canadian, is subjective. “The only pressure for me is to be better than the older version of myself, focusing on growth, achieving my own goals, not other people’s.”
Tesfaye also spoke about the pains and pleasures of fame, a common theme in his work, whether in music or in the visual arts. When asked about how to keep his feet firmly on the ground, he repeated the sincerity demonstrated throughout the conversation with Billboard Brazil. “I stay away from people as much as possible. I try to have as much privacy in my life as possible. I never give off [that] ‘famous’ energy. I think trying to be famous is a talent in itself. I haven’t mastered that talent… And I don’t intend to,” he says, escaping the industry buzz.
Last year, the composer spoke about controlling the way he is seen and heard by the public. In the midst of the transition of concepts in his career, he revisits the idea. “Honestly, I don’t even remember saying that. But everyone would love to be able to control the narrative. It’s impossible. So you try your best and make the most of it. Less is more. I’ve learned a lot in the last two years, and it’s definitely the least control I’ve ever had. But I’ve learned a lot, and that’s the most important thing,” he says.
“Too much control is unhealthy. Collaboration is important, whether it’s artistically, with ideas, or even with energy. I’ve been on both sides of the fence, being too controlling and not having enough control. And leaning too far toward either side can be dangerous. It’s a constant balancing act, but the results are the best.”
Mending the dark parts of himself, The Weeknd’s Frankenstein must bring the singer’s lessons learned at the height of his fame—and pursue his chosen purpose in life, bringing comfort and refuge to those facing their own demons.
This article originally appeared in Billboard Brazil.
k.d. lang and The Reclines will perform together for the first time in 35 years in Edmonton on Sept. 14 for the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards.
lang may have found international fame as a pop superstar with a powerful and emotionally expressive voice and as a queer icon, but her roots in country music run deep. She first made her mark in Canadian music as a maverick cowpunk artist back in the ’80s, at the start of a career that has spanned over four decades.
“Reuniting with The Reclines after 35 years in Edmonton for the CCMA Awards feels like a full-circle moment,” shares lang. “The bond we shared, both musically and personally, remains as strong as ever, and revisiting a song that shaped our journey together is incredibly special. I’m thrilled to bring this experience to life on such a celebrated stage and share it with fans, both old and new.”
Trending on Billboard
Based in her birthplace of Edmonton, k.d. lang and the Reclines were together from 1983 to 1989, after starting out as a Patsy Cline tribute act. The first band featured Stu Macdougal on keys, Dave Bjarnson on drums, Gary Koligar on guitar and Farley Scott on bass.
After regular gigging at Edmonton’s Sidetrack Café, the group gained national attention with its 1984 album, A Truly Western Experience. Her unique sense of fashion and energetic performance style caught the attention of Rolling Stone, who dubbed her “a Canadian Cowpunk.” lang earned a 1985 Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist, famously accepting the award wearing a borrowed wedding dress.
k.d. lang will also be inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame, adding to her remarkable legacy of accolades. –Kerry Doole
The Billboard Canada Women in Music Industry Spotlight
This week, Billboard Canada unveiled the full Billboard Canada Women in Music honours.
Stars like Alanis Morissette, Charlotte Cardin and LU KALA will be at the Billboard Canada Women in Music event on September 7 in Toronto.
In addition to those award-winners, which include Executive of the Year Kristen Burke, the head of Warner Music Canada and the only female major label head in the country, there is also an Industry Spotlight list of women from throughout the Canadian music industry.
From label boardrooms to influential positions in radio, touring, festivals, artist funding and more, women and gender-diverse people are shaping music.
Each person featured on the Industry Spotlight list also gave their advice for the next generation of women in the music industry, from speaking honestly and authentically, to surrounding yourself with other talented and supportive women.
There are also exclusive videos of interviews and performances of Billboard Canada Women in Music honourees, including The Beaches, Allison Russell and artist manager Laurie Lee Boutet.
Because of the incredible contributions of women and gender-diverse individuals, Billboard Canada Women in Music is not only a celebration of women, but of Canadian music as a whole – and a vision for where it can go next. –Richard Trapunski
AP Dhillon Safe Following Reports of Gunshots at His Home Near Victoria, B.C.
Gunshots were fired into the home of Punjabi-Canadian musician AP Dhillon early Monday morning (September 2).
B.C. police are investigating the incident, with CTV News reporting that around 1:15 a.m. the RCMP was called to the house. There are reports of two vehicles set on fire, in addition to multiple gunshots, as well as reported video of the shooting circulating online.
“I’m safe. My people are safe,” Dhillon shared on Instagram.
The Times of India reports that an associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the shooting on social media, threatening Dhillon for working with Salman Khan. The actor and producer Khan had a cameo appearance in the video for Dhillon’s new Billboard Canadian Hot 100-charting single, “Old Money,” and the gang reportedly has a history of targeting Khan.
“Preliminary investigation suggests that this was a targeted event and there is no information to believe that the general public is at any further risk as a result,” says a statement from the West Shore RCMP detachment.
The gunfire follows Dhillon’s recent major label signing with Republic Records, with “Old Money” marking the first release as part of that deal. –Rosie Long Decter
The Spanish recorded music industry is having a promising year, so far. PROMUSICAE (Productores de Música de España), which represents more than 95% of Spain’s recording industry, recently released half-year figures — and they continue to ascend. The recorded music industry has generated a total revenue of 249.8 million euros ($277.3 million) during this period, reflecting an impressive growth rate of 16.6% compared to the same period in 2023 when the income stood at 214.3 million euros ($237.9 million).
“It is very encouraging that in this first part of the year the figures growth of recorded music in Spain keep over 16%, as this highlights that the efforts and talent of Spanish artists and recording companies bear fruit, and music continues grabbing the interest of the public,” said Antonio Guisasola, president of PROMUSICAE.
The digital market remains a catalyst for this growth, experiencing a significant rise of 18.8%. Digital formats now account for 89.7% of the industry’s turnover, totaling 224.15 million euros ($248.82 million). That’s nearly all streaming, which captured 88.8% of the total market and generated revenues of 221.86 million euros ($246.28 million) — up 19.1% compared to the first half of 2023.
Trending on Billboard
Audio streaming represented 83.5% of all consumption and contributed 185.22 million euros ($205.6 million) to the industry. Video streaming accounted for 36.64 million euros ($40.67 million), totaling to 16.5% of streaming.
Karol G, Sabrina Carpenter, Spanish indie rock band Arde Bogotá, Dani Fernández, and Benson Boone are some of the artists that have placed No. 1 songs on the Spanish charts. Meanwhile, albums by Quevedo, Karol G, Bad Bunny, Aitana, and C.Tangana continue to dominate the 100 Albums annual chart.
Guisasola added, “Streaming is obviously the main way in which we consume recorded music and the greatest economic support of recording market, but the public is still demanding physical products such as vinyl, which sales steadily grow and is most valued by consumers.”
The physical market this year so far matches the growth of the same period of 2023, ever so slightly increasing to 0.03%. The consumption of vinyl rose 11.9% in 2024, like last year, whereas CD purchases decreased by 15%. Other formats also decreased compared with the same period of 2023, down 32.9%, and DVD salesdecreased by 15.1%.
“The challenge remains to push the Spanish recording production even stronger, helping companies of our country to invest in national talent, for which it is essential to be supported with public measures as can be tax incentives to Spanish production and the support to internationalization of our recording production,” stated Guisasola.
He mentioned that the challenges the industry faces is to get the public to “make a decided commitment to consume music through payment subscriptions, as it happens in our surrounding advanced countries.” Guisasola stated that this not only enhances the listening experience but also provides the financial returns needed to continuously support our artists’ talent.
Spanish Recorded
PROMUSICAE
LONDON — The U.K. competition regulator has launched an investigation into Ticketmaster over its much-criticized sale of tickets for Oasis‘ reunion tour, which prompted hundreds of complaints from fans and fierce condemnation from British politicians.
The probe was announced by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Thursday (Sept. 5) – less than a week after tickets for Oasis’ Live ‘25 tour went on sale. The investigation will look into whether Ticketmaster broke consumer protection laws and engaged in “unfair commercial practices” by failing to notify ticket buyers in advance that prices would surge based on demand.
Standard standing, or general admission, tickets for Oasis’ U.K. and Ireland comeback tour were advertised as costing £148.50 ($195), but the price unexpectedly soared to £355.00 ($467) after several hours of being on sale due to high demand, provoking an angry backlash from fans.
Trending on Billboard
The CMA said its investigation would examine whether consumers were given “clear and timely information” to explain that the tickets would be subject to dynamic pricing, including the price they would eventually pay for purchases.
CMA officials will also look at whether people were put under pressure to buy tickets within a short period of time at a higher price than they originally intended to pay.
The competition regulator said it will be engaging with Ticketmaster, the band’s management and event organizers to gather evidence to assess whether the Live Nation-owned ticketing company broke consumer protection laws.
Officials will also consider whether to widen the scope of the investigation into other companies involved in the highly anticipated reunion tour, which is jointly promoted by Live Nation, SJM Concerts, MCD and DF Concerts.
Fans who purchased, or attempted to purchase, tickets from Ticketmaster for the shows are invited to submit evidence to the watchdog, including an screenshots they may have taken during the purchasing process. Submissions close on Sept. 19.
“It’s important that fans are treated fairly when they buy tickets, which is why we’ve launched this investigation,” said CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell in a statement.
“It’s clear that many people felt they had a bad experience and were surprised by the price of their tickets at check-out. We want to hear from fans who went through the process and may have encountered issues so that we can investigate whether existing consumer protection law has been breached,” said Cardell.
Ticketmaster did not respond to requests to comment when contacted by Billboard on Thursday. The company has previously stated that all ticket prices for Oasis’ reunion tour, including platinum, in-demand (dynamic) and VIP were set by the tour promoters and management.
In the fallout to the weekend’s ticketing furore, the British government said it would be looking into the practice of dynamic pricing for music concerts as part of its previously announced consultation into the secondary ticketing market.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it had received 450 complaints about “misleading claims about availability and pricing” concerning the sale of Oasis’ tickets by Ticketmaster. The regulator said it was “carefully assessing these complaints” and couldn’t comment further.
Responding to the hundreds of complaints from frustrated fans, a representative of Oasis said on Wednesday that the decision to apply surge pricing to its reunion shows was made by the band’s management and tour promoters, and “and at no time [the group] had any awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used.”
“While prior meetings between promoters, Ticketmaster and the band’s management resulted in a positive ticket sale strategy, which would be a fair experience for fans, including dynamic ticketing to help keep general ticket prices down as well as reduce touting, the execution of the plan failed to meet expectations,” said the statement from Oasis’ publicist. “All parties involved did their utmost to deliver the best possible fan experience, but due to the unprecedented demand this became impossible to achieve.”
Earlier this week, Oasis announced the addition of two new dates at London’s Wembley Stadium to next year’s tour, bringing the total number of shows up to 19. To avoid a repeat of the weekend’s on sale debacle, tickets to the two new Wembley shows are to be sold via an invitation only ballot that gives preference to fans who failed to get tickets in the initial launch.
According to organizers, the Oasis Live ’25 tour was the biggest concert launch ever seen in the U.K. and Ireland with more than 10 million people from 158 countries attempting to buy tickets, which all sold out in less than a day.
LONDON — The British government has pledged to look into the practice of dynamic pricing for music concerts after tickets for Oasis‘ highly anticipated reunion tour more than doubled in price on official ticketing platforms, prompting hundreds of complaints from disgruntled fans.
Tickets for the band’s 17-date U.K. and Ireland 2025 tour went on sale Saturday morning with prices starting at £65.00 ($85.00) for seating and £148.50 for standing tickets.
Fans’ excitement quickly turned to anger, however, after enduring long queues on the tour’s primary ticketing vendor, Ticketmaster, and then discovering that the cost of a standing ticket had soared to £355.00 without warning when they finally got to the front of the queue – due to high demand.
Trending on Billboard
Although tickets to all 17 shows sold out in less than a day, the unexpected price hikes provoked an angry backlash against Oasis and Ticketmaster from fans with hundreds venting their frustration on social media.
In response, the U.K. culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, said it was “depressing to see vastly inflated prices excluding ordinary fans from having a chance of enjoying their favourite band live.”
The cabinet minister said that dynamic pricing is one of the issues the government would be looking at as part of its previously announced consultation on the secondary ticketing market, which is due to begin in the fall.
Transparency and the technology that ticketing companies use to incentivize dynamic pricing would also be examined as part of the forthcoming review, said Nandy, adding that the newly elected Labour government is “committed to putting fans back at the heart of music.”
“Working with artists, industry and fans we can create a fairer system that ends the scourge of touts, rip-off resales and ensures tickets at fair prices,” she said in a statement.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live on Monday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer echoed the culture secretary’s concerns over secondary ticketing and said the government will get a “grip” on the issue of dynamic pricing to “make sure that actually tickets are available at a price that people can actually afford.”
“This is really important, because this isn’t just an Oasis problem,” Starmer told the BBC. “This is a problem for tickets for all sorts of events, where people go online straight away… and within seconds sometimes, sometimes minutes, all the tickets are gone, and the prices start going through the roof, which means many people can’t afford it.”
On Monday (Sept. 2), the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it had received 450 complaints about “misleading claims about availability and pricing” concerning the sale of Oasis’ tickets by Ticketmaster. The regulator said it was “carefully assessing these complaints” and couldn’t comment further. Ticketmaster did not respond to requests to comment when approached by Billboard.
Priced Out
Although dynamic ticket pricing has become an increasingly regular occurrence in the U.S. live music industry in recent years, Oasis’ comeback tour – which is being jointly promoted by Live Nation, SJM Concerts, MCD and DF Concerts – marks its most high-profile and potentially biggest roll out for live music concerts in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
As in other countries, the practice is commonly used by travel companies, taxis and hotels in the U.K., but it is understood to have only been fleetingly used for gigs and tours so far in the British touring market and, when it has, has failed to draw major scrutiny or attention.
The furore around dynamic pricing from U.K. politicians is further unwelcome news for Ticketmaster owner Live Nation, which was hit with an antitrust lawsuit earlier this year, filed by the U.S. Department of Justice and a group of 30 states, who accuse the concert giant of market dominance and demanding that it and Ticketmaster be broken up.
In the U.K., competition regulators looking into the live music business have so far largely focused on resale ticketing platforms such as Viagogo, which has previously been subject to numerous controversies, investigations and inquiries, culminating in the firm being ordered to offload its StubHub business outside of North America in 2021.
Calls for Stronger Protections
Scrutiny of all aspects of the live industry from governments and regulators in all major touring markets is nevertheless steadily growing.
Last year, the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, said that it was “aware of the concerns” about ticketing companies using dynamic pricing and was “monitoring the situation.” Excessive prices imposed “by a dominant company” would be in breach of EU laws, the commission warned at the time.
Prior to July’s U.K. general election, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said that, once in power, he would limit the number of tickets individual resellers could sell on resale platforms and give the U.K. competition watchdog greater powers to take “swift” action against services and scalpers who break the rules.
“The lack of transparency in live music overall is increasingly problematic. This is an opportune moment to look at the market overall,” says Adam Webb, campaign manager of consumer organization FanFair Alliance, who backs the government’s promise to examine dynamic pricing.
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has also welcomed the government’s pledge to strengthen consumer protections around ticket buying and said on Tuesday it is “urgently reviewing recent developments in the ticketing market, including the way dynamic pricing is being used in the primary market.”
“Consumer protection law requires businesses to be fair and transparent in their dealings with consumers, and businesses must give clear and accurate information about the price people have to pay, ” said a CMA spokesperson. “Failure to do so may breach the law.”
After a four year hiatus, the DJ Awards are back.
A collection of DJs both famous and rising were recently announced as nominees in the awards’ nine music categories: house, Afro, techno, tech house, drum & bass, organic house, progressive house, breakthrough artist, live act and international DJ. Nominated artists include Peggy Gou, Martin Garrix, Blond:ish, Michael Bibi, Mochakk, Barry Can’t Swim, Francis Mercier, Rüfüs du Sol, Black Coffee and more.
See the complete list of genre nominees below. Voting for the awards is open to the public via the DJ Awards website.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Beyond the genre awards, categories include a group of industry-focused awards, with the Ibiza Icon award being given as, the awards state, “a tribute to the legendary figures who have shaped Ibiza’s music scene, leaving an indelible mark on the island’s rich club culture and in our hearts.” The Ibiza Track of The Summer award will go to the song that most powerfully soundtracked the summer of 2024 on the island, and a number of awards will acknowledge achievements in the industry and live music space outside of Europe. These awards will be be voted for by dance industry execs from the Association For Electronic Music (AFEM).
The ceremony is set for Oct. 2 at the island’s Club Chinois. Tickets for the event go on sale Sept. 13, the same day that public voting closes. 2024 marks the 23rd year for the DJ Awards, with the ceremony founded in 1998 by Ibiza residents José Pascual and Lenny Krarup.
Trending on Billboard
The Awards are now under new ownership after being taken over earlier this year by Andy Grant, who recently told Mixmag that in 2024 “the most important outcome being to gain the respect of the global dance community as the new trusted guardians of this responsibility. Beyond that everything is on the table, and my vision is nothing short of positioning the DJ Awards alongside the Oscars and the Brit Awards in terms of scale, reach and recognition.”
2024 DJ Awards Music Categories & Nominees:
House
Gorgon City
Honey Dijon
Kerri Chandler
Sam Divine
Seth Troxler
Syreeta
TSHA
Trance
Armin van Buuren
Astrix
Dash Berlin
Infected Mushroom
Paul Van Dyk
Tiësto
Vini Vici
Techno
Amelie Lens
Charlotte de Witte
Indira Paganotto
Paco Osuna
Nico Moreno
Sara Landry
Sven Väth
Progressive House
ARTBAT
CamelPhat
Cristoph
Eli & Fur
Eric Prydz
Franky Wah
Hernán Cattáneo
Tale of Us
Organic House
Bedouin
BLOND:ISH
Jan Blomqvist
Monolink
Patrice Bäumel
Robag Wruhme
WhoMadeWho
Tech House
Jamie Jones
Joseph Capriati
Marco Carola
The Martinez Brothers
Michael Bibi
Mochakk
PAWSA
Solomun
Vintage Culture
Afro
Black Coffee
Francis Mercier
Kelvin Momo
KILIMANJARO
Kitty Amor
Major League DJz
Pablo Fierro
Themba
Live Act
Barry Can’t Swim
Ben Böhmer
Bicep
Fred Again..
Mathew Jonson
Róisín Murphy
Rüfüs du Sol
Drum & Bass
Bou
Chase & Status
Hedex
Nia Archives
Sub Focus
Wilkinson
The Riot Noise Breakthrough Artist
Archie Hamilton
Ben Sterling
Desiree
Fleur Shore
James Hype
Miss Monique
Sammy Virji
Wade
International DJ
Calvin Harris
David Guetta
Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike
Fisher
Martin Garrix
Peggy Gou
Swedish House Mafia
The Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas, or CAPIF, has released its 2024 music report, which analyzes last year’s music consumption in the country.
In 2023, the market grew by 8.2% compared to 2022 with a sustained revenue growth trend in the digital space. According to the 70-page report, the data reflects the predominance and prevalence of digital consumption in today’s music industry with audio and video streaming dominating the market with 75%.
Furthermore, the public communication rights, collected by AADI-CAPIF, make up 16% of the market, while physical sales, represented by CDs and vinyl account for 8%. Synchronization, which covers the use of music in advertising, films and television, accounts for the remaining 1%.
“The music industry in Argentina has experienced a remarkable transformation in recent years,” wrote Diego Zapico, president of CAPIF, in the report. “From the explosion of urban sounds to the resurgence of traditional genres, the production of our music is leaving an indelible mark both nationally and internationally. The current state of Argentine music is vibrant and is full of challenges and opportunities, typical of this moment we are living in the country and globally … there’s a possibility of reaching the public through multiple platforms and formats.”
Trending on Billboard
While Argentine hitmakers like Maria Becerra, Bizarrap and Nicki Nicole have offered a global spotlight to the country’s burgeoning urban music scene, their music also fared well at home. According to the report, 53% of the music played in Argentina in 2023 was local repertoire.
The data also includes the top 10 songs from last year, which include Maria Becerra’s “Adiós,” “En La Intimidad” by Emilia, Callejero Fino and Big One, plus Ke Personajes’ “Pobre Corazón” ft. Onda Sabanera.
Read the full report in Spanish here.
The former USSR might not be considered a musical hotbed, but a new compilation of rare music from the Soviet Union lifts the veil on the vibrant, dance-focused scene that existed there in the 1980s.
Synthesizing the Silk Roads: Uzbek Disco, Tajik Folktronica, Uyghur Rock & Crimean Tatar Jazz from 1980s Soviet Central Asia, offers 15 ’80s-era songs from the region, with the project made after deadstock vinyl was discovered at a Soviet-era vinyl plant in Uzbekistan capital of Tashkent.
This rarely heard music — including loads of funk and Moroder-adjacent disco — is out digitally this week and will be available in physical formats on Sept. 24, via Ostinato Records.
Trending on Billboard
The music contained on the compilation came to life as a function of world events. In 1941, Stalin ordered a mass evacuation as the Nazis invaded the USSR, with 16 million people boarding trains to Central Asia. Many of them landed in Tashkent, with this group including the engineers who, four years later, would found the Tashkent Gramplastinok factory.
The 15-track compilation is forged primarily of vinyl discovered at this plant, with groups from all over Soviet Central Asia — Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, the Crimean Peninsula and beyond — traveling to Tashkent to record music.
By the mid-’70s, the Soviet disco scene was in full swing, with Latvian DJ Hardijs Lediņš writing a widely read manifesto urging, the album’s liner notes recount, that “greater professionalism amongst musicians was necessary because ‘like mushrooms after the rain, like the rain after a hot day, that’s how discos are springing up today.’ Lediņš echoed the sentiment of many young people who believed these clubs should play more than music imported from the West, where disco was exploded after being born in the clubs of New York City.
“Recognizing the futility of banning disco clubs outright,” the liner notes explain, “the authorities, ever mindful of ideological control, opened dance spaces exclusively through Komsomols (state youth leagues), requiring partygoers to sit through a one-hour lecture on the Soviet worldview before the music dropped”
The U.S.-born genre became so popular in the USSR that by 1976, the Latvian capital of Riga hosted the first week-long USSR-wide disco festival, with artists flying in from across the region to perform. “Almost 200 disco clubs were soon registered with the local Komsomol in Moscow and 300 in Riga,” the liner notes continue, “and eventually, according to data pieced together during our research, about 20,000 public discos were attended by 30 million people a year across all 15 republics in the union.
With discos raking in money, “Dances were now allowing black market trading to fester. ‘Western clothes and other hard-to-get items—vinyl, jeans, foreign cigarettes—were literally being sold under the table. Discos had become a space for early alternative culture, as well as private commerce.’”
Meanwhile, a so-called “disco mafia” emerged in many Soviet cities including Tashkent, with these entities controlling “a lucrative business model with multiple revenue streams. Propaganda and ideology officials began accepting bribes to turn away from clubs indulging in ‘bourgeois’ extravagance or music viewed as ideologically adversarial.
“But the impact of this music went beyond just entertainment or cultural showcases,” the notes conclude. “From the opening of these clubs in the 1960s onwards, the political ranks drew from what historian Sergei Zhuk called ‘The Deep Purple Generation.’ Disco and rock in the Soviet Union played a not insignificant role in the USSR’s unraveling, steering youth leagues and, in turn, future leadership towards attitudes far removed from Soviet gospel.”
The Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, with Synthesizing the Silk Roads offering a relic from this perhaps unlikely moment in music history.
Billboard Canada Women of the Year is coming up on September 7, and the Woman of the Year has been named: Charlotte Cardin.
The Montreal artist is the first Canadian artist to win the prestigious award, joining prior Billboard Women of the Year including Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Madonna, Billie Eilish, SZA and Karol G.
Since releasing her second full-length album 99 Nights a year ago, the singer-songwriter has had two EP releases, multiple chart hits, and an international breakthrough that’s brought her from the NBA All-Star game to a gala singing for U.S. President Joe Biden. Now, amidst a world tour that’s brought her all over North America and Europe, she’s entered a new phase of her career — an undeniably global one.
She talks about it all in a new digital cover story for Billboard Canada.
Trending on Billboard
“Being able to export my music makes me feel so good,“ she says. “It’s even the thing that makes me the happiest. Ever since I was little I wanted to make [music] my career, and it makes me even happier to know that it can do good for other people.”
When it was released, 99 Nights stayed on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart for 31 weeks. In March, her infectious pop single “Confetti” debuted on the U.S. Billboard Adult Pop Airplay chart, remaining there for 16 weeks. It was one of many singles to also chart on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100.
While she primarily sings in English, with her personal-yet-relatable pop music, Cardin is a rare Francophone Quebec artist — taking a path forged by Celine Dion and travelled by artists like Coeur de pirate — to break through in English-speaking Canada and America.
The Woman of the Year award will bring her from her Europe tour to Toronto for Billboard Canada Women in Music on September 7, where she will accept the award and sing a special piano-led performance at the ceremony.
She’ll keep good company, joining one of the most successful Canadian artists of all time Alanis Morissette, who will accept the Icon Award.
Other honorees include Jessie Reyez (Trailblazer Award), Jully Black (Impact Award), The Beaches (Group of the Year), LU KALA (Rising Star), Allison Russell (Breakthrough Artist of the Year) and more.
There will also be a number of big performances, including from award winners Jully Black, LU KALA, charting Montreal dance-pop artist Rêve, Polaris Prize winning rapper Haviah Mighty and many more. – Richard Trapunski
Two Long-Running Canadian Acts Go Indie
Call it the Seven Year Itch perhaps? After that long on Sony Nashville, critically-acclaimed award-winning Canadian country star Tenille Townes has left her label in favor of forging ahead as an independent artist.
As reported earlier in Billboard, Townes broke the news via an Instagram post on Monday (Aug. 26). It reads, in part: “My Nashville record label and I have parted ways. This is not a sob story, but a story of opportunity. We had a really good run and this is a big shift for me. We haven’t been seeing eye to eye on my music and my path and it’s creatively been a struggle waiting on green lights inside a corporate system that doesn’t make a lot of sense anymore.
“I want the freedom to write and record a song and be able to get it to you guys, and making this decision means I can do that as I take back ownership of what I create. And that feels liberating and if I’m honest it also feels terrifying.”
She has long been established as one of Canada’s elite country artists, winning 17 Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards and two Juno Awards for Best Country Album. Townes has Canadian tour dates in Atlantic Canada and Ontario, Oct. 9-26 and will perform at Rogers Place in Edmonton for the 42nd annual CCMA Awards 2024 CCMA Awards on Sept. 14.
Townes is the second prominent Canadian act to take the leap from major label to independent status in as many weeks. Saskatoon rockers The Sheepdogs recently split from Warner Music Canada and bought back their catalogue, launching their own label Right On Records, distributed through The Orchard worldwide.
They marked the occasion with the release of a surprise new five-track EP, Paradise Alone. For the ‘70s rock throwback band, who gained prominence after winning a contest to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone in 2012, it represents a turning point.
“We’ve been a band for 20 years, and pretty comfortable with who we are and how we do things. We’ve lasted this long by staying true to ourselves, doing things our way, and not chasing trends,” said bassist Ryan Gullen in a statement, noting that the band already handles their own management, marketing and production. “Acquiring our catalogue and starting our own label is about taking things to the next level. We want to be in the driver’s seat, doing things our way, and maybe even helping other artists do the same. With so much constantly changing, we’re focused on staying true to our approach.” – Kerry Doole