Music News

DistroKid Artists Can Now Create Custom T-Shirts, Mugs & More With New Direct-to-Fan Platform

Trending on Billboard

DistroKid has launched a new direct-to-fan platform that will allow artists to quickly create custom merch, the DIY distributor announced on Wednesday (Oct. 29).

Called Direct, the platform will allow artists to transform the artwork from their albums and singles into custom t-shirts, tote bags and mugs that can be produced on demand and shipped to fans across the globe. Artists will have the ability to set their own prices and keep 100% of their earnings from the sales; DistroKid says it will not charge shipping fees and will replace lost or damaged items for free.

Related

Direct is currently rolling out in beta with a select group of artists, but will expand wider in the coming weeks.

“Direct is one more way DistroKid helps artists at every step — before, during, and after they release music,” said Matthew Ogle, DistroKid’s chief product officer. “We’re building simple tools that let artists share what they create, from music to merch and beyond, and connect directly with the people who care about them most.”

Built on technology infrastructure developed by direct-to-fan platform Bandzoogle, which DistroKid acquired in 2023, Direct will be available to DistroKid artists for under $6 a month. In the future, artists will be able to choose from additional merch options and be offered new ways to interact with their fans.

DistroKid claims to distribute 30% to 40% of all new music globally and says it has a user base of more than 2 million artists.

More information on Direct can be found here.

Billboard VIP Pass

Daily newsletters straight to your inbox


Sign Up

Giovanny Ayala Captures First Billboard No. 1 With ‘No Estaba Hablando EnSerio’

Trending on Billboard

Giovanny Ayala captures his first No. 1 on a Billboard chart through “No Estaba Hablando En Serio” which flies to the top of the Regional Mexican Airplay chart (dated Nov. 1).

“No Estaba Hablando En Serio” soars from No. 9 to No. 1 after a 35% increase in audience impressions in the United States, to 6.4 million, during the tracking week of Nov. 17-23, according to Luminate. Released on June 26 under Colmena/Azteca, the song claims the top spot in its 16th week, following a four-week stint in the top 10.

Ayala’s latest single not only marks his first chart-topper, but also his first charting entry with Azteca Music Group’s COLMENA Music. Before the move, the singer achieved six Regional Mexican Airplay entries with the Gerencia360 label, including the No. 7-peaking “Quien Se Apunta,” with Luis R. Conriquez, in 2022.

Meanwhile, COLMENA secures its first No. 1 of 2025 and its second overall. The label previously reached the top spot with Los Ángeles de Charly’s “El Tonto” in 2024.

“No Estaba Hablando En Serio” also makes strides on the overall Latin Airplay chart, where it flies 20-4, after earning strong support from stations KSND (Portland, OR), KLNO (Dallas), and WOJO (Chicago) during the tracking period.

Bad Bunny’s 30th Win: Continuing his dominance on the overall Latin Airplay chart, Bad Bunny collects his 30th No. 1 with “Nuevayol.” The song climbs from No. 5 to No. 1 with the weekly Greatest Gainer honors, recognizing the track with the largest audience increase.

“Nuevayol” registered 7.8 million audience impressions during the tracking week, up 30% from the week prior. Its sends DY’s “Sonríele” to No. 10, after the latter falls by a 37%, to 5.7 million.

“Nuevayol” marks the fifth track from Benito’s album Debí Tirar Más Fotos to claim the No. 1 spot on the Latin Airplay chart. It follows previous chart-topping hits “El Clúb,” “Baile Inolvidable,” and “EOO,” which each dominated for two weeks in February, March, and August, respectively. Plus, “DTMF” delivered a one-week reign in May.

With a total of 30 No. 1s on Latin Airplay, Bad Bunny continues to climb the rankings among the artists with the most chart-topping hits since the list debuted in 1994. Here’s a look at the current leaderboard:

39, J Balvin
36, Ozuna
32, Enrique Iglesias
30, Bad Bunny
29, Daddy Yankee
25, Maluma
24, Shakira

Patti LaBelle Partners With Primary Wave on Her Iconic Catalog

Trending on Billboard

Grammy-winning legend Patti LaBelle has brought her estimable music catalog to Primary Wave Music. The new partnership deal includes the singer-songwriter’s artist royalties across a catalog that encompasses 18 studio albums, three live albums, 14 compilation albums and 47 singles. To date, according to Primary Wave’s press announcement, LaBelle has sold more than 50 million records worldwide.

“We are so honored to be in business with a legend such as Ms. Labelle,” said Primary Wave partner Steven Greener in a statement. “She’s a true icon and trailblazer. We are looking forward to doing great things together.”

Related

Among LaBelle’s memorable hits are “Lady Marmalade,” “If Only You Knew,” “New Attitude” and “On My Own.” Recorded in 1974 by the group LaBelle, “Lady Marmalade” topped the Billboard Hot 100. The song then reclaimed that peak in 2001 for five weeks when it was covered by Christina Aguilera, Mya, Pink and Lil’ Kim — whose version appeared on the film soundtrack for Moulin Rouge. “Lady Marmalade” was later chosen for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2021.

“On My Own,” another of LaBelle’s aforementioned career highlights, is the singer’s duet with Michael McDonald. Released in 1986, the song reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, where it reigned for three weeks. Written by Burt Bacharach, it also earned a Grammy nomination for best performance by a duo or group. In addition to her No. 1s on the Hot 100, LaBelle counts 42 singles that have appeared on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and she has charted 20 albums on the Billboard 200.

In addition to her two Grammys and 13 nominations, LaBelle has received several other music industry accolades. Those include an American Music Award, four NAACP Image Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Also an Emmy nominee, LaBelle has appeared in several films and TV programs (A Soldier’s Story, A Different World, The Masked Singer), written six books (most recently, the 20th anniversary edition of her best-selling cookbook, LaBelle Cuisine) and helms the successful food and lifestyle brand Patti’s Good Life.

Publishing company Primary Wave is home to a diverse roster of iconic singer-songwriters. Among its roster: Bob Marley, Prince, Stevie Nicks, The Doors, Whitney Houston and Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons.

Billboard VIP Pass

A$AP Rocky Talks Working With Denzel Washington & Spike Lee, Explains Why He Rarely Drops Music: ‘It’s About Who Did It the Best’

Trending on Billboard

A$AP Rocky spoke about working with Denzel Washington and Spike Lee on Highest 2 Lowest and said there’s a reason why he doesn’t drop music that often.

In a new interview with Perfect Magazine, Rocky explained how working with Washington and Lee on Highest 2 Lowest was a “dream come true.”

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

“Their dynamic alone is just historical,” Rocky said. “So I’m honored to be an honorary member of their legacy.”

Rocky also explained how he helped Lee develop his Yung Felon character, adding that at first Rocky felt, “There were a few things the character needed to become more real.”

“[Spike Lee] let me develop my character full-throttle,” Rocky said. “They put me in the right environment that was familiar with a little nostalgia, and it allowed me to take the character to different places, and borrow stories from the people I was around growing up, and their circumstances. I appreciate that he [Lee] was receptive to all my changes for my personal character.”

Rocky also spoke briefly about Don’t Be Dumb and his music career as a whole, saying he’s not so eager to drop new music because he wants to make sure it all feels right for his legacy.

“It’s about who did it the best,” Rocky said. “Everything I do is based off building legacy. That’s why I’m not so eager to just drop, drop, drop. I don’t do things to just try and stay relevant, or keep my name in the conversation. I try to do natural things, creative, ambitious things that really satisfy me.”

The comments come as Rocky continues to tease his fourth studio album Don’t Be Dumb. In an interview with GQ back in February, he said it’s been so long, fans are likely tired of hearing about the album.

“I’m in the mixing and mastering realm of it,” he told the outlet. “But I think quite frankly, people are tired of hearing about updates about the album. They’re just ready to get this sh–, you know what I’m saying? I don’t think anybody wants to hear where I’m at with it, how far is it along and all that. They just want to hear some sh– just to see where I’m at, and I promise I got some new sh– in store. I’m challenging myself. It’s like anything, I approach it with a different tactic, degree, or finesse.”

YouTube’s Subscription Businesses Get a New Boss

Trending on Billboard

As part of a significant reorganization of its product teams, YouTube promoted Christian Oestlien, previously vp of product management, to lead a team responsible for subscription products across YouTube Music, YouTube TV and YouTube Premium. As vp of YouTube’s subscription products, Oestlien will also oversee podcasts, commerce and YouTube Primetime Channels.

Related

YouTube also created two other product organizations. Viewer Products, to be led by Johanna Voolich, will focus on the viewer experience through such products as the main YouTube app, living room and search. YouTube has not yet hired a lead for creator and community products, which will focus on supporting YouTube creators. Oestlien, Voolich, and the eventual creator and community projects lead will report directly to YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. News of the reorganization was first reported by Variety and was confirmed to Billboard by a YouTube representative.

While YouTube has made its name streaming ad-supported videos to billions of viewers globally, its subscription business has more than 125 million paying customers across both YouTube Premium and YouTube Music, the company announced in March. The combined free-paid platform generated $8 billion for the music business in the 12-month period ended June 30, YouTube global head of music Lyor Cohen announced at Billboard Latin Music Week on Oct. 22. 

The TV is an increasingly important screen for YouTube, which is best known for its origins on web browsers and proliferation on smartphone apps. YouTube had the largest share of TV viewing in the U.S. in July with a 13.4% share, according to Nielsen. Netflix was No. 2 at 8.8% and Disney was No. 3 with 4.7%. 

Billboard VIP Pass

Daily newsletters straight to your inbox


Sign Up

Inside Fred again..’s 10 Shows in 10 Cities in 10 Weeks Run (Updating)

Trending on Billboard

Earlier this month Fred again.. kicked off his buzzy 10 shows in 10 weeks in 10 cities run, a peripatetic endeavor happening as part of the release of his USB002 project.

The English producer is releasing one song from USB002 in tandem with each week’s show, with UBS002 itself being an an evolution of USB001, which collected Fred hits including “Jungle,” “Baby Again” with Skrillex and Four Tet, “Lights Out” with Romy and Haai, “Rumble” with Skrillex and “Turn On The Lights Again..” with Swedish House Mafia and Future.

USB002 thus far promises to be as star-studded, with the first song of the project being a collab with Aussie rock band Amyl and the Sniffers and additional releases featuring Danny Brown, Beam and Skin On Skin. (The Amyl and the Sniffers release, “you’re a star,” this week debuted on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs at No. 7.)

Meanwhile, the show’s special guests have been equally high caliber, with the first three performances welcoming fellow producers including Haai, Yousuke Yukimatsu, a trio of local Belgian producers and Spanish artists Drea and Toccororo.

If you’re not seeing much internet footage from these performances it’s because this run of shows is effectively phone-free, with fans in each city having a sticker put over their phone cameras upon arrival to maximize presence and participation. For production, the run features an installation by Dutch artist and composer Boris Acket, who contributed one of his billowing, parachute type works to the shows.

See exclusive photos from each week’s show below, with this story updating after every performance.

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox


Sign Up

Billie Eilish Says She Almost Scrapped ‘Birds of a Feather’ as She Thought Song Was ‘Kind of Stupid’

Trending on Billboard

Since it dropped last year, “Birds of a Feather” has taken flight as one of Billie Eilish‘s most successful songs to date. But in a new interview, the pop star revealed that she almost scrapped it entirely, fearing it was too “stupid” to release.

While speaking to the Wall Street Journal for a profile published Wednesday (Oct. 29), Eilish opened up about spending nearly a full year wrestling with the track in the studio with Finneas, her brother and co-producer. When “Birds of a Feather” — which is far cheerier and uplifting than the singer’s usual brand of pop song — finally came together, Eilish still wasn’t sure if it would ever see the light of day.

“Multiple times I was like, “We should cut this,’” she told the publication. “Even when I played the whole album for the label, I was like, ‘Guys, this one is kind of stupid.’”

Luckily, “Birds of a Feather” made the cut on the tracklist of Eilish’s third studio album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, which dropped in May of last year and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The buoyant love song spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and closed out 2024 as Spotify’s most-streamed song of the year with upwards of 1.781 billion streams. (It now boasts more than 3 billion on the platform.)

“Birds of a Feather” also serves as the closing number in Eilish’s tour setlist. After kicking off the trek supporting HMHAS in September 2024, the singer now has just a month or so left of shows before she closes out with a pair of shows in San Francisco in November.

Part of the reason why Eilish has been on tour for so long was so she’d have plenty of room for breaks along the way, she explained to WSJ. “It takes longer, and you make less money that way,” she told the publication. “But for me, it’s magical.”


Billboard VIP Pass

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox


Sign Up

Tim McGraw Says Health Issues Nearly Halted His Music Career: ‘Things Were Getting Really Bad’

Trending on Billboard

Three-time Grammy winner Tim McGraw recently told an audience that he contemplated leaving his music career behind due to health issues, according to a video shared by Fox News.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

During a concert in Highland, California on Saturday (Oct. 25), McGraw candidly discussed the health issues that had him thinking of halting his career. “I’ve had four back surgeries and double knee replacements, just in the last couple of years,” McGraw told the crowd.

McGraw also praised the doctor who did his double knee replacement surgeries, as that doctor was in the crowd. McGraw also noted that his wife and fellow musician Faith Hill has undergone health issues recently. “My wife has been going through a few surgeries – she’s had five neck surgeries, and she’s had a couple of hand surgeries,” he said, while also praising Hill’s hand surgeon who was in the audience along with other nurses and staff members.

McGraw noted that around the time of his most recent back surgery, which took place in the Spring, “things were getting really bad, so I was seriously contemplating and figuring out how to walk away. I didn’t want to, but I didn’t think it was going to get better….but it’s gotten better.”

These days, McGraw is back in touring mode, with upcoming shows slated for November and December, including a slate of shows at The Colosseum Theater and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in December.

McGraw also said those moments of reflection inspired his recent song, “King Rodeo,” which McGraw wrote with songwriter Tom Douglas. “I had this idea for this song that sort of dealt with facing age and facing all that stuff that comes along with it,” McGraw told the crowd.

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox


Sign Up

Limp Bizkit’s ‘Break Stuff’ Tops Hot Hard Rock Songs Chart After Sam Rivers’ Death

Following the Oct. 18 death of longtime bassist Sam Rivers, Limp Bizkit’s catalog surged, as reflected on Billboard’s Nov. 1-dated charts, paced by its 1999 classic “Break Stuff,” which hits No. 1 on the Hot Hard Rock Songs survey.

Related

Over Oct. 18-24, “Break Stuff” earned 3.7 million official U.S. streams, a boost of 6%, according to Luminate. It’s part of a wider catalog-inclusive gain for the band’s music, which jumped 17% in official on-demand U.S. streams in that span.

Perennial streaming favorite “Break Stuff” was the most streamed song in the band’s catalog in the week following Rivers’ passing. From Limp Bizkit’s 1999 Billboard 200 No. 1 Significant Other, it reached No. 14 on the Alternative Airplay chart in April 2000.

The track also enters Hot Rock & Alternative Songs at No. 18. (Older songs are eligible to enter multimetric charts if ranking the top half and with a meaningful reason for their resurgences.)

“Break Stuff” is additionally No. 13 on Hard Rock Streaming Songs.

Below “Break Stuff,” Limp Bizkit’s “Rollin’” drew with 2.5 million streams Oct. 18-24, up 12%, while “My Way” earned 1.9 million, a boost of 15%. Both songs are from the group’s 2000 album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, also a No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The set returns to Top Hard Rock Albums at No. 22 with 6,000 equivalent album units earned, up 10%.

Meanwhile, the band’s current single, “Making Love to Morgan Wallen,” lifts 12-11 on Hot Hard Rock Songs, following its No. 1 debut in September. It also holds at its No. 20 best on Mainstream Rock Airplay and rises 29-25 on Alternative Airplay.

Rivers died Oct. 18 at age 48 following reported cardiac arrest. “Sam Rivers wasn’t just our bass player — he was pure magic,” the group shared in a statement following his death. “The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound. From the first note we ever played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced. His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous.”


Billboard VIP Pass

50 Cent’s Crime Drama ‘BMF’ Canceled After 4 Seasons at Starz

Trending on Billboard

The 50 Cent-produced BMF series has been canceled at Starz after four seasons, the last of which wrapped up in August.

The series was based on the rise and fall of the Black Mafia Family empire, which was started in Southwest Detroit by brothers Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry Flenory in 1985.

The drug trafficking and money laundering organization built a network that spanned the United States, with hubs in Atlanta and Los Angeles, lasting into the 2000s when a plethora of federal raids, arrests and indictments caused the empire to crumble.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

50 Cent produced the show through his G-Unit Film and Television division alongside Lionsgate TV. Big Meech’s son, Demetrius Flenory Jr. and Da’Vinchi starred as the Flenory brothers in the series, which also boasted a cast that included Russell Hornsby, Kash Doll, Michole Briana White, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Myles Truitt, Steve Harris and Lala Anthony.

As pointed out by The Hollywood Reporter, Starz CEO Jeffrey Hirsch revealed his disappointment in season four during a quarterly earnings call in August. “[Season four] resulted in modest sequential declines in OTT subscribers and revenue,” he said.

The cancellation echoes Hirsch’s statements at a conference in March, where he revealed the company’s pursuit of launching new series rather than continuing older shows, since they become costly after a few seasons.

“When seasons go from one to two to three to four [seasons], three to four is where the cost really pops because most of the actors get bigger raises, and you have to really manage that,” he said, per Deadline. “So, you have to have in your portfolio of development shows that can actually replace shows as they get into later seasons.”

As far as what’s left of the 50-Starz empire, Power spinoffs Raising Kanan and Force are returning for a final season. There’s also a Power: Origins prequel series in production.

Billboard has reached out to Starz and 50 Cent for comment.


Billboard VIP Pass