Streaming
Trending on Billboard
Spotify launched its first Artist Party in Sydney on Monday night (Nov. 17) featuring The Kid LAROI, marking the start of ARIA Week with a tightly programmed event centered on Australian talent ahead of the 2025 ARIA Awards.
Held at the Cell Block Theatre in Darlinghurst, the event functioned as Spotify’s primary on-the-ground activation during ARIA Week and drew a cross-section of nominated artists, emerging acts and industry figures. The Kid LAROI headlined the night with a short set that included a surprise appearance by Western Sydney drill group ONEFOUR for “Distant Strangers.” The performance marked a rare public pairing for the two acts in the lead-up to this year’s ceremony.
Related
LAROI, who has been home in Australia ahead of his next release cycle, addressed the crowd briefly, noting the significance of performing in Sydney during ARIA Week. The Kid LAROI said: “I grew up dreaming about nights like this, so to be back in Sydney, performing this party with Spotify and surrounded by so many Aussie artists I respect, is special.”
He added, “Australian music is having a massive global moment right now, it’s so cool to be part of that!”
Several 2025 ARIA nominees also appeared on the bill. Sons of the East (Best Blues & Roots Album) and Taylor Moss (Best Country Album) delivered unannounced acoustic performances, while Young Franco — nominated for Best Solo Artist and Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist — closed the night with a DJ set.
The event drew notable nominees, including Ninajirachi, this year’s most-nominated artist, as well as RedHook and Larissa Lambert. Members of The Wiggles were also seen in attendance, reflecting the wide footprint of ARIA Week programming across genres and generations.
This year’s ARIA Awards arrive with higher-than-usual audience participation following the introduction of Spotify’s in-app voting tool, which the ARIAs say has driven more than 250,000 public votes across the ceremony’s open categories. That figure surpasses combined tallies from the previous two years and indicates elevated visibility for this year’s broadcast and livestream.
The 2025 ARIA Awards will be held Nov. 19 at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion, streaming live on Paramount+ from 5 p.m. AEDT before airing later that night on Network 10.
Trending on Billboard
For nearly 25 years, tech startups have tried to crack the code on a simple idea: Building a social network based on music. The timing wasn’t right for Napster, Imeem, MySpace Music, Lala, Apple’s Ping or Facebook’s Spotify integration, among others. “It’s like a math problem that goes unsolved for hundreds of years and one day a mathematician comes along and solves it,” says Matt Graves, a Marin County, Calif., communications consultant who was once an exec for music-streaming pioneer Rhapsody. “I’d like to think that brilliant young Turk exists.”
Gilles Poupardin, a San Francisco entrepreneur, believes he is that Turk (although he is French) — and believes that Airbuds, his app with 5 million monthly users and $10 million in venture capital, is that service. Airbuds allows friends to view what each other is listening to on Spotify, Apple Music and other music-streaming services in real time, and discuss the tracks or add emojis, “SLAY” stickers and cat gifs to now-playing pages. It’s all very Facebook-in-2009 or Snapchat-in-2015, only with music as the central focus and common user language.
Related
The timing is right, according to the Airbuds co-founder, some 15 years into the social-media and music-streaming eras. “Spotify is the access to the music. Airbuds is the social layer on top of it,” he says. “Gen Z, Gen Alpha, wants more than access. They want identity.”
The earlier music-plus-social services didn’t make it for several reasons. Some ran into technology-wary labels that, after winning battles against Napster and others over copyright infringement, were disinclined to license their content to startups. Others, like MySpace Music, lost out to more advanced tech models, like Facebook and Instagram, and wound up folding or selling out to bigger companies. Poupardin insists this won’t happen with his app. Airbuds connects to Spotify, Apple Music and others, so the company can piggyback on the music-streaming services’ content licenses and not have to worry about securing rights from labels and publishers.
Reps for all three major labels did not respond to requests for comment, but Seb Simone, Warner Music Group’s senior vp of global direct-to-fan services, is quoted in an Airbuds press release. “Airbuds isn’t just another app,” Simone said in part. “It’s a cult community of super-engaged fans expressing their love of music in a social, playful and creative way.”
Related
How does Airbuds make money? So far, mostly through venture capital investment — predominantly from Seven Seven Six, an investment firm run by Alexis Ohanian, a Reddit founder. In the future, Poupardin says, the app is working on a “one-stop shop for artist-superfan connection,” creating profiles for stars that will eventually enable merch and ticket sales. He adds that Airbuds is testing a subscription model that “unlocks customization features.” Also, he says, Airbuds “briefly experimented” with advertising before abandoning the plan.
After attending college in Paris, Poupardin helped create tech ventures, including DrinkEntrepeneurs and Whyd, a voice-controlled speaker that preceded Amazon’s Alexa. After building Capuccino, a social app for sharing audio clips with real-life friends, he and co-founder Gawen Arab hit on the Airbuds idea, launching in October 2022. “It took up slowly at first,” Poupardin says. “We started adding more features and it started growing way faster.”
Airbuds allows users to react to shared songs with stickers, badges and emojis — some of which are customized with artists’ images, including Pink Pantheress, Tame Impala and others. It also provides charts, Spotify Wrapped-style weekly recaps and, significantly, chat features. According to Poupardin, artists have picked up on fans sharing customized content on Airbuds and asked their managers and label reps to figure out how to work with the service.
“You could have built Airbuds a few years earlier, but it didn’t have the critical mass of folks on streaming. It didn’t have the AI-slop-infested Internet. So the culture wasn’t quite ready for it,” Ohanian says. “This is a way to share what you’re listening to with your actual friends. It’s fundamentally human.”
Trending on Billboard
Disney+ dropped the two-and-a-half minute trailer for the upcoming refresh of The Beatles Anthology series. The beloved documentary chronicling the formation, fame and frenzy surrounding the Fab Four — which was originally broadcast in 1995 in the U.S. and U.K. before being released on video — will make its streaming debut on the service beginning Nov. 26.
The first three episodes will drop that day, followed by parts 4-6 on Nov. 27 and episode 7-9 on Nov. 28. The series has been restored and expanded from eight to nine episodes, including a new ninth ep featuring what a release promised was, “illuminating and previously unreleased footage of Paul, George and Ringo during the creation of the original 1990s Anthology series and music project.”
The series follows John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison as they look back on the legendary band’s eight-year rise to global superstardom, with the Disney+ version slated to feature a new restoration of the footage and a sound mix overseen by the Apple Corps production team working in conjunction with director Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post crew in Wellington, New Zealand.
The trailer opens with the voice of Lennon describing the origins of the group. “I met Paul and said, ‘do you want to join me band?’… Then George joined. Then Ringo joined,” he says. What follows is a whirlwind tour through the group’s early years, with Ringo explaining, “We’ve heard it from everybody else, now you can hear it from us” as archival footage has Lennon lamenting, “the demand on us was tremendous.”
The clip then takes us from a series of high points, the group’s legendary Feb. 1964 Ed Sullivan appearance that launched a million bands to the first-ever major stadium rock show at New York’s Shea Stadium in 1965, which was followed by a second show at Shea that Starr completely forgot about. “I thought we only played there once,” Starr says. “How was it?”
The new ninth chapter finds the then living members — McCartney, Starr and Harrison — regrouping in 1995 to work on the first “new” Beatles song since the group’s split in April 1970, “Free as a Bird.” In addition to the original doc series, The Beatles Anthology project included a four-volume set of double albums (which also contained another “new” song “Real Love”) as well as 2000 coffee table book.
“Nothing will ever break the love we have for each other,” says Lennon, who was murdered by a crazed fan outside his New York apartment building on Dec. 8, 1980. “The Beatles exist without us,” adds Harrison, who died in 2001 of cancer at age 58.
Watch The Beatles Anthology trailer below.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Trending on Billboard
The Jonas Brothers are taking over Christmas with their new film, aptly titled A Very Jonas Christmas Movie.
There’s no better way to get into the holiday spirit by watching this Christmas-meets-comedy film that is available to stream now on Disney+ and Hulu. The film sees brothers Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas face a series of escalating obstacles on their journey home from London to New York, racing against time to spend Christmas with their family.
It’s your standard wacky holiday movie, akin to such beloved titles such as Home Alone and Elf. The new movie is directed by Jessica Yu and stars the Jonas Brothers, obviously, alongside talents including Chloe Bennet, Billie Lourd, Laverne Cox, KJ Apa, Andrew Barth Feldman, Andrea Martin, Kenny G, Justin Tranter, Randall Park and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Now, this wouldn’t be a proper Jonas Brothers-led film if there wasn’t an original soundtrack. The brothers created an album, produced by Justin Tranter, with seven brand new songs, along with three additional tracks. The soundtrack includes the tracks “Best Night,” “Like It’s Christmas,” “Home Alone” and a live version of their 2019 single “Sucker.” If you’re itching to get into the Christmas spirit a little bit early, here’s how you can watch the Jonas Brothers’ new movie.
How To Watch A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
As mentioned, A Very Jonas Christmas Movie is now available for streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
Instead of getting one of two streaming services, you can bundle Hulu with Disney+ for $12.99/month. These Disney+ bundles save users on average 44% per month. Think of it this way. A standalone subscription to Hulu and or Disney+ with ads is 11.99/month, which is basically the cost of a bundle. You’re getting more bang for your buck by bundling because it gives you access to a wider variety of streaming services all in one place. Stick with us. Your wallet will thank you.
Subscribers will have access to a wide range of Disney+ and Hulu titles, including movies and series from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic along with and Hulu Originals. Some of our favorites currently, perfect for getting you into the Christmas mood, include Elf, Die Hard and The Polar Express. If it’s too early to jingle bells, you can always tap into other cheerful content including The Simpsons, Elio, Dancing with the Stars and the Glen Powell football comedy Chad Powers.
Watch the Trailer for A Very Jonas Christmas Movie Below
And, if you’re in the mood for more of the JoBros, the pop group is still on their JONAS20: Greetings from Your Hometown Tour in celebration of their 20th anniversary. The band will be making stops in major cities throughout the U.S. and Canada, with a stacked setlist of top tracks sure to get you out of your seat with hits including “Lovebug,” “S.O.S” and “Year 3000.”
The band will be touring up until Dec. 22, when they will make their final stop in Brooklyn, N.Y., at the Barclays Center. If you’re looking to relive the 2000s, we’ve included sites where you can snag tickets to the band’s tour below. You might even be able to grab a deal on ticket pricing, on us, of course.
Where to Buy Tickets to Jonas Brothers’ JONAS20: Greetings from Your Hometown Tour
Courtesy of Ticketmaster
low prices
Ticketmaster
Shop tickets for the Jonas’ Brothers’ latest tour via Ticketmaster.
If you’re a Jonas Brothers fan on a budget, Ticketmaster has a good amount of seating options still available for as low as $43 at some venues. Ticketmaster has an initiative in place for ticket buyers called Fan Guarantee that allows for cancellations, refunds or exchanges within 24 hours of booking, subject to certain exclusions, so you’ll never have to prep a backup plan pre-concert.
best Seating
StubHub
Shop tickets for the Jonas’ Brothers’ latest tour via StubHub.
StubHub features some of the best seating for Jonas Brothers’ tour we’ve seen so far, even for concerts that are only days away. You can shop a slew of seats, both up close and far from the stage, with ease, thanks to the ticketing service’s FanProtect Guarantee. This ticketing initiative ensures that you’re shopping for valid tickets or your money back. In the unfortunate event that your concert or show gets canceled and not rescheduled, you will receive a credit worth 120% of the amount you paid for the impacted event, or the option of a cash refund.
More Promo Codes
Vivid Seats
Shop tickets for the Jonas’ Brothers’ latest tour via Vivid Seats.
You can grab seating options to the Jonas Brothers’ tour with Vivid Seats now for a discounted price when you use promo code BB30 to score $30 off your purchase. When you’re shopping for Jonas Brothers tickets on Vivid Seats, you’ll be able to clearly see which tickets are the most affordable and which ones are going the fastest without even clicking on them, thanks to icons above each venue. Like other ticketing sites, Vivid Seats also has a 100% Buyer Guarantee that vows your transaction is secure, that your tickets will be delivered before your event and that those tickets will be valid and authentic no matter what.
promo codes
SeatGeek
Shop tickets for the Jonas’ Brothers’ latest tour via SeatGeek.
You can shop Jonas Brothers’ tour tickets while still saving on SeatGeek. You can use promo code BILLBOARD10 to receive $10 off at checkout. The ticketing service includes a safety net for prospective buyers with their Buyer Guarantee that ensures smooth ticket purchases no matter the venue.
promo code
TicketNetwork
Shop tickets for the Jonas’ Brothers’ latest tour via TicketNetwork.
You can also shop for JONAS20 tour tickets through TicketNetwork for a fraction of the original cost with our code BILLBOARD300 to save $300 off orders of $1,000 or more, and BILLBOARD150 to save $150 off orders of $500 or more. Waiting on getting paid before you buy your seats? You can also buy your tickets on the website now and pay later with help from Affirm. To further help you narrow down your decision before purchasing, the website includes all-in pricing that lets you see exactly what you’ll be paying before heading to checkout (fees included).
Courtesy of Gametime
Lots of seating left
Gametime
Shop tickets for the Jonas’ Brothers’ latest tour via Gametime.
Gametime has a bunch of seating options still available for pretty much all of the stops on the Jonas Brothers’ tour. Pricing varies based on how close or how far you are from the stage, so pick your tickets wisely. The ticketing service guarantees the lowest prices, event cancellation protection and on-time ticket delivery, ensuring a smooth sailing pre and post-purchase.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Trending on Billboard
For ShopBillboard‘s Game of the Week, the Detroit Lions are headed to Philadelphia to take on the defending Super Bowl champs, the Eagles, for a Sunday Night Football matchup you don’t want to miss. Kicking off at Lincoln Financial Field at 8:20 P.M. ET on NBC, we’ve created a guide to stream the NFC heavyweight matchup online and for free.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
Eagles vs. Lions Game, at a Glance
Date: Nov. 16
Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Kickoff: 8:20 P.M. ET
Network: NBC
Stream: DirecTV, Sling, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV
As of now, the Lions and the Eagles are the most favored NFC teams to make it to the Super Bowl. With a high-powered offense led by Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jared Goff, Detroit continues to be a dominant force with their 6-3 record. However, if there’s one team that can go toe-to-toe with the boys in blue, it’s the Birds.
From Jalen Hurts, to Saquon Barkley, to A.J. Brown, Philly is riddled with talent on both sides of the field. With only two losses in the season, the Eagles have the slight advantage going into Sunday. No matter who wins, these two powerhouse organizations will surely meet again in the postseason.
There’s also one other aspect that both teams have in common, celebrity fans. Kicking off in Philly, we won’t be surprised seeing cameos from Kevin Hart, Meek Mill, Questlove, Lil Uzi Vert or Will Smith. On the flip side, Eminem, Jack White and Big Sean have proven to be major stans for their hometown football squad.
For more on the Eagles vs. Lions, keep scrolling to learn about how you can stream the game online.
How to Watch the Eagles vs Lions Game Online for Free
The Eagles vs. Lions game will take place on NBC. If you don’t have cable, you can get access to the channel through live TV streamers, such as DirecTV — which is currently offering a free trial. Below are the best ways to watch NBC online.
DirecTV
A subscription to DirecTV — which comes with NBC for Sunday Night Football games as well as NBA games — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $49.99 for the first month of service ($89.99 per month afterwards). The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as ABC, CBS, Fox and PBS, while you can also watch many cable networks, including FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others.
Sling TV
Sling TV offers the Blue package, which comes with NBC. Blue is one of the most affordable options and comes with more than 40 channels and can be streamed on up to three device at a time. Please note: Pricing and channel availability varies from market-to-market.
Fubo
Fubo is another great option you can take advantage of to watch NBC online. The streamer offers a seven-day free trial that’ll give you access to NBC free and more than 240 live TV channels. The service offers a promo that’ll get you up to $30 off the first month, which can get you access to ESPN and more for as low as $54.99 (reg. $84.99 per month).
Hulu + Live TV
For the most content offerings, you can sign up for Hulu + Live TV and get access to the Hulu library in addition to more then 95 live TV channels (including NBC). The streaming platform starts at $64.99 per month for the first three months of service ($82.99 per month afterwards).
And, for even more programming, Hulu + Live TV now comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited, which gives you everything within the Hulu library, in addition to exclusive content on ESPN for even more sports coverage.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Trending on Billboard
Ready to dive into the drama that is BravoCon 2025?
The Bravo-led convention is back and juicier than ever, spearheaded by none other than Andy Cohen. The convention will be taking place at the Bravo Clubhouse in Las Vegas. Fans will be able to experience a special edition of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, aptly titled BravoCon Live with Andy Cohen. Some of Bravo’s favorite series regulars will be attending the con including Angie Katsanevas from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Ariana Madix of Vanderpump Rules fame, Ashley Darby from The Real Housewives of Potomac and Denise Richards from the film Wild Things and the show Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, among others.
BravoCon LIVE will feature special episodes airing from Nov. 14 through the 16th slated to include all the hot gossip, jaw-dropping reveals, and maybe even some beef squashing that fans of Bravo have been craving. The shows will tape across four nights from PH Live at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Resort & Casino.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
BravoCon began back in 2019 in New York and served as a way for fans of Bravo franchises to meet and greet with their favorites. At the time, it was the only convention really celebrating and platforming all things reality TV. If you didn’t snag tickets to the convention, we’re going to show you how you can tune into the fun from the comfort of your couch.
How to Watch BravoCon with DIRECTV.
BravoCon LIVE with Andy Cohen will be available to watch via Bravo which can be accessed on DIRECTV on channel 237.
A subscription to DIRECTV gets you access to live TV, local networks such as NBC, ABC and PBS, and you can also watch many cable networks, including FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others (Some local channels not available in select markets.). With DIRECTV, you’ll have access to a slew of Bravo titles, giving you the drama fix you’ll need to keep going. This includes Below Deck, Vanderpump Rules, Summer House and all The Real Housewives franchises you can think of.
DIRECTV offers a handful of streaming plans for all budgets as well as a trial so you can watch for free for five days. The most affordable option of the bunch is the ENTERTAINMENT package featuring over 90 channels for $49.99/mo. for the first month and $79.99 for months two and three, then $89.99 for months 4-241. This plan includes local channels (where available), ESPN Unlimited, unlimited streams for unlimited screens2 and a special offer on premium networks. Check out directv.com/affiliates/stream for details on the other packages, channel line ups and special offers.
Trending on Billboard
On Thursday (Nov. 13), Spotify launched a new tier of its subscription service, Premium Platinum, in India, Indonesia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Related
The Premium Platinum plan takes the place of Premium Family plans for new subscribers in these markets. Spotify support page in India, for example, notes that the multi-user Premium Family plan “is only available for users that signed up for Premium Family before November 13th, 2025.” (Support pages for the other four markets do not have the same declaration, but Premium Family is no longer listed as an available option for new subscribers on the other countries’ Spotify websites.) A Premium Platinum account can be shared by up to three people, while a Premium Family account can be shared by up to six people.
Premium Platinum includes lossless audio quality (up to 24-bit/44.1kHz), which began rolling out as a standard feature in 50 markets, including the U.S. and U.K., in September. Other features include the ability to mix playlists, a personal AI DJ, AI playlist creation, the ability to connect to DJ software, and, in some markets, audiobook listening.
The prices for Premium Platinum range from 50% to 89% more than Premium Standard. In India, Premium Platinum costs 299 rupees ($3.37) per month, 50% more than Premium Standard’s 199 rupees ($2.29) price tag. In South Africa, Premium Platinum costs 179.99 rand ($10.55) per month, 89% more than Premium Standard’s 94.99 rand ($5.57) price. Platinum includes audiobook listening time in South Africa.
Related
Spotify offers the same suite of Premium tiers in each of the five markets: The affordable Premium Student, the low-priced Premium Lite, the Premium Standard, and the more expensive Premium Platinum. Features are doled out according to price. Premium Platinum offers the most features and carries the highest price. Premium Lite has the lowest audio quality (up to 160kbps) and does not allow for offline listening to downloaded files. Premium Student and Premium Standard have better audio quality (up to 320kbps) and offer the ability to download files for offline listening.
What Premium Platinum does not include is the kind of “superfan” features that have been discussed by Spotify and record label executives. During Universal Music Group’s Oct. 30 earnings call, CEO Lucian Grainge discussed AI-driven tools that could “revolutionize” how fans interact with music, such as a “sophisticated, highly personalized chatbot.” And earlier on Thursday, Spotify CFO Christian Luiga mentioned “mixing tools” when discussing ways Spotify increases engagement while speaking at the Morgan Stanley European Technology, Media and Telecom Conference.
Trending on Billboard Spotify is rolling out music videos to its users in the U.S. and Canada, the company confirmed with Billboard. The feature was previously beta-tested in nearly 100 overseas markets last year. A Spotify representative says music videos will be integrated into the service in the coming weeks for U.S. and Canadian customers, […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
With the release of A Very Awesome Yo Gabba Gabba! Christmas! holiday album and ahead of its season two debut in early 2026, season one of the reboot series Yo Gabba Gabbaland! is available to stream on Apple TV for subscribers only.
How to Watch Yo Gabba Gabbaland! Online for Free
A subscription to Apple TV can give you access to stream Yo Gabba Gabbaland! online. Apple TV is ad-free and goes for $12.99 per month, or $99 per year. You can watch everything the streamer has to offer, including original titles, such as Pluribus, The Morning Show, For All Mankind, Severance, Long Way Home and Long Way Up, Servant, Silo, Invasion, Foundation, Lessons in Chemistry, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Masters of the Air and more.
The service also includes music documentaries and programming, like 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything, Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson, K-Pop Idols, Carpool Karaoke and others. Apple TV has access to live sports, including Friday Night Baseball.
Not a subscriber? Sign up for a seven-day free trial to watch Yo Gabba Gabbaland!.
Created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz, Yo Gabba Gabbaland! is a reboot series of Yo Gabba Gabba! with host Kammy Kam taking over for DJ Lance Rock. It features the original Gabba friends, Muno, Foofa, Plex, Brobee, and Toodee. The reboot series features musical guests, including Flea, Diplo, Betty Who, Thundercat, The Linda Lindas, Kurt Vile, Miyavi and others.
You can watch Yo Gabba Gabbaland! season 1 on Apple TV now, while season two is set to drop starting on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. . You can watch for free with a seven-day free trial. In the meantime, watch the trailer for season one below.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
Trending on Billboard
Since subscribing to Spotify in 2023, Genevieve Capolongo says she’s mostly listened to “lesser-known artists” like Próxima Parada, Julia Cooper and Brusco. But she says the streamer’s recommendation tools keep serving her “mainstream, major-label tracks” by Drake, Zach Bryan and Justin Bieber.
According to her lawyers, that’s because Spotify was paid to do so.
Related
In a lawsuit filed last week, Capolongo claims the streamer’s Discovery Mode and editorial playlists amount to a “modern form of payola,” allowing labels to secretly boost their tracks with a “deceptive pay-for-play” program. She says she wouldn’t have subscribed if she knew that Spotify’s recommendations had been sold “to the highest bidder.”
The case is sometimes light on specifics, like citing unnamed “industry insiders” about alleged illicit payments or “disproportionate” rates of major-label music. Spotify, for its part, called the lawsuit “nonsense” and said it was “riddled with misunderstandings and inaccuracies.”
But it targets a program that has raised eyebrows for years — and comes at a time when Spotify has faced multiple accusations about manipulation on the platform. For more, go read our full story here.
You’re reading The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings and all the fun stuff in between. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Tuesday, go subscribe here.
Other top stories this week…
DRAKE’S APPEAL – As Drake asks an appeals court to revive his lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” I asked legal experts what his lawyers might argue — and whether it’ll work.
TAYLOR V. TRUMP? – Taylor Swift fans want her to sue the Trump administration after it used “The Fate of Ophelia” in a TikTok video. She probably could, but almost certainly won’t.
DISJOINT VENTURE – 10K Projects, the Warner-owned label founded by Elliot Grainge, is facing a lawsuit claiming it owes millions to Taz Taylor’s Internet Money Records under a joint venture.
FAST & FREE SONGS – How did New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani get clearance to use Bob Dylan’s iconic anthem “The Times They Are A-Changin’” in a campaign ad? It turns out he didn’t.
MJ LITIGATION – Michael Jackson’s estate is locked in a legal battle over abuse allegations from the Cascio siblings, who spent much of their childhoods with the King of Pop.
GORDIAN SLIPKNOT – Slipknot’s lawsuit against a group that has owned slipknot.com for decades has hit an unexpected snag: The shadowy entity has hired a lawyer and is fighting back.
ATLANTA ARREST – Rod Wave was arrested in Atlanta on weapon and drug charges. His lawyer — star defense attorney Drew Findling — says Wave was “unjustly profiled and unlawfully arrested.”
NAME REVEAL? – A “Jane Roe” woman who accused Garth Brooks of sexual assault is refusing to concede defeat in her fight to remain pseudonymous, filing an appeal to avoid disclosing her real name.
NOVEMBER LITIGATION – An ex-manager of Guns N’ Roses is suing the band, claiming it has unfairly blocked the release of his memoir by threatening to sue him and his publisher over a decades-old NDA.
State Champ Radio
