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Warner Music Group and TikTok struck a multi-year licensing deal allowing creators on the short-form video app to use WMG music on Tuesday, marking the first publicly announced deal between a major music company since the popular social media platform since licensing renegotiations began about 18 months ago.
The companies said in a joint statement that the multi-platform agreement licenses the full repertoire of Warner Recorded Music and Warner Chappell Music to TikTok, TikTok Music, CapCut, and TikTok’s Commercial Music Library.

It is the first sizeable deal struck since WMG’s Chief Executive Officer Robert Kyncl took over in January, and it marks the cooling of what has at times been tough negotiations between TikTok and the music industry establishment.

Kyncl and TikTok’s chief execurtive Shou Chew said the agreement would benefit artists.

“We are very excited to partner with Warner Music Group to create a shared vision for the future in which artists, songwriters, music fans and the industry can all benefit from the power of discovery on TikTok platforms,” Chew said.

While terms of the deal were not disclosed, Kyncl described the deal as an “expanded and significantly improved partnership for both companies. We can jointly deliver greater value to WMG’s artists and songwriters and TikTok’s users.”

TikTok has been engaged in ongoing negotiations for roughly the last year over remuneration to the 100-plus rights holders through whom it must license music played on its app. Billboard reported that TikTok had struck short-term licensing deals in 2020 with most major music companies–shorter than the 18-24-month licenses common between the music and tech industries–to use 30-second clips of songs.

But negotiations to reach more permanent agreements had been fraught, with the music industry pushing for greater incentives for rights holders and TikTok exploring what music was really worth on its platform.

Kyncl’s WMG being the first to announce it struck an agreement with TikTok comes after he signaled a friendlier tone during comments he made at a banking conference in March. Kyncl expressed empathy for executives at TikTok at the Morgan Stanley conference, who he said are at “a company that’s kind of embattled today with lots of different institutions around the world.”

“That’s all I look for, fair setup on both sides and to grow a business together,” Kyncl said in March.

Tony Yip, the chief strategy officer for Chinese audio streaming company Tencent Music Entertainment (TME), will step down on August 31, the company announced Monday (July 17). He plans to spend more time with his family overseas and pursue other personal interests, according to the press release. The company did not indicate who will replace […]

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The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 commences this week in Australia and New Zealand. This is the first year that the competition will have two host nations, which means unless you got really good travel deals to watch the teams go head-to-head live, you’ll need to rely on streaming options in order to watch soccer matches.

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This year, the tournament will begin Thursday (July 20) until August 20, when the final two teams face off. To kick off the competition, New Zealand will take on Norway starting at 3 a.m. ET, Australia will play Ireland at 6 a.m. ET and Nigeria will go up against Canada at 10:30 p.m. ET on opening day.

When does the U.S. women’s team play? You can catch them start their journey towards another World Cup trophy on Friday (July 21) at 9 p.m. ET when they play against Vietnam.

To check out the entire FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 schedule, click here.

Keep reading to learn how to watch the competition for free.
How to Watch FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023

Fox Sports is the official English-language broadcast partner in the U.S., which means you’ll need to tune in to Fox Sports or any of its affiliated channels, such as Fox and FS1. Since it’s airing live on network television, cable viewers can tune in for free. Just be sure to check with your provider’s channel guide to find out what channel Fox Sports is on. You’ll also be able to view it through FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app (you’ll just need to log in with your provider’s info).

Don’t have cable? You might be able to watch it using an HD antenna like one of these on Amazon. If you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on cable, there are some free and affordable streaming options such as DirecTV Stream. Right now, you can take advantage of their limited-time promo giving you $10 off its plans; after that you’ll pay as low as $74.99/month.

DirecTV Stream
$From $64.99/month $74.99/month 13% off% OFF

After the three months is over you’ll have to pay $74.99/month for the Entertainment plan, which gives you 75+ channels, DVR storage and unlimited screens to stream on. If you want additional channels, the Choice plan provides everything the Entertainment plan comes with along with 105+ channels and regional sports at no additional cost for $99.99/month after the trial ends.

And for even more programs, the Premier plan gives you everything that comes with the Choice plan as well as Max, Starz, Cinemax and Showtime for no additional cost at $154.99/month after the promo ends.

Want more affordable streaming options? Fubo offers a free trial, which means you can watch the Women’s World Cup for free. SlingTV is also offering a promo right now where you can get the first month for $15 (regularly $40). The subscription includes at least 31 network channels, DVR access and an additional promo where you get 30 days free of premium channels including Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and AMC+ when you sign up. Choose between the blue package, the orange package or combine both and get access to over 60 channels, DVR and the ability to stream on up to three devices at once. With the promo, both channels combined is only $30 for the first month (regularly $55).

You can also subscribe to Hulu + Live TV, which gives you access to the entire Hulu library including Hulu Originals and FX shows as well as a ton of network TV channels. If you like bundles, you can add on ESPN+ and Disney+ to expand your program offerings.

Viewing outside of the United States? Make sure to use ExpressVPN to catch all the action.

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Nothing does drama quite like a classic soap opera, and with streaming options dominating how we watch our favorite programs, we can stream old and new episodes wherever and wherever we want.

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For the first time in 60 years, though, the unions for writers and actors are on strike at the same time, which has shut down production on most TV and film productions. For daytime soaps fans, you can breathe a sigh of relief as it won’t be impacting soap operas … for now.

Why aren’t soaps being impacted? Well, according to Deadline, “SAG-AFTRA’s film and TV contract, which expires June 30, does not apply to SAG-AFTRA members working on soaps.” This is because soap opera actors operate under a different contract within SAG-AFTRA called the SAG-AFTRA National Code of Fair Practice for Network Television Broadcasting (aka the Network Code). That contract runs through July 2024, which means soaps actors are required to work regardless of the larger union being on strike. That’s right, everything from The Young and the Restless, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful won’t be impacted by the ongoing strikes at this point.

Since soaps tend to work weeks to months in advance, production already has a lot of scripts to keep the shows running.

New content will continue being produced for the time being, meaning you won’t have to rewatch old episodes to keep yourself occupied until the strike comes to an end.

Keep reading for the best ways to stream soap operas online.

How to Watch Soaps Online

For those with cable, you can tune into CBS to watch The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, whereas you can see Days of Our Lives on NBC and General Hospital on ABC. Make sure to refer to your provider’s channel guide to find what channel each on is on.

Don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on cable? There are affordable live TV network options with free trials such as Fubo and DirecTV Stream, which means you can watch your favorite soaps for free. You can subscribe to Hulu + Live TV, which gives you access to the entire Hulu library including Hulu Originals and FX shows as well as a ton of network TV channels — including ABC for $69.99/month.

DirecTV Stream $64.99/month $74.99/month 13% off% OFF

DirecTV Stream is currently offering a promo where you get $10 off for the first three months, after that you’ll pay as low as $74.99/month. Once the promo ends, you’ll have to pay $74.99/month for the Entertainment plan, which gives you 75+ channels, DVR storage and the unlimited screens to stream on. If you want additional channels, the Choice plan provides everything the Entertainment plan comes with along with 105+ channels and regional sports at no additional cost for $99.99/month after the trial ends.

With the Premier plan you’ll get everything that comes with the Choice plan as well as Max, Starz, Cinemax and Showtime for no additional cost at $154.99/month after the promo ends.

Other Ways to Stream Soaps

If you don’t watch every soap on TV, then you can save additional money by subscribing to the streamer its on. Subscribers to Hulu, Paramount+ and Peacock can watch current episodes of soaps for no additional cost, but for those without a subscription, you’ll need to sign up in order to watch.

Fans of The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful can watch new episodes on CBS.com or on the app, but you’ll need to log in with a provider. Paramount+ features not only CBS shows, but a library full of Paramount+ Originals and exclusive content including Praise This, 1883, Yellowstone, Scream VI, Beavis & Butthead, A Hollywood High and more starting at $4.99/month after a 7-day free trail. Paramount+ is also now the home of Showtime, which means if you want to catch up on Yellowjackets and more Showtime Originals, you can add the channel onto your subscription for $11.99/month.

To catch new episodes of General Hospital, you can watch it through ABC.com or on the app, but like with CBS, you’ll need a provider login. Otherwise, Hulu offers a selection of ABC shows as well as Hulu Originals and FX content including American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Abbott Elementary, White Men Can’t Jump, What We Do in the Shadows, The Handmaid’s Tale, Prey, Bob’s Burgers and more starting at $7.99/month after a 30-day free trial. If you love bundling, you can even add ESPN+ and Disney+ starting at $12.99/month.

Days of Our Lives is an NBC show that you can catch up on through NBC.com or the app (with a provider’s login). Peacock is another way you can tune into all the drama, with its most popular plan being $4.99/month, or you can save 17% with an annual plan from $49.99/year. You’ll be able to watch programs such as Bupkis, Mrs. Davis, Poker Face, Bel-Air, Poker Face, Yellowstone, The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip, Vanderpump Rules, Queens Court, The Traitors, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Based on a True Story, Sick and other Peacock Originals in addition to NBC and Bravo shows, sports and more.

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Having cable isn’t enough if you want to catch all the hottest TV series and movies (like the Imagine Dragons: Live in Vegas documentary), you’ll need to have access to streamers. Streaming options seem to be endless today, but before you can tune into Hulu, Paramount+, Prime Video and more, you need to make sure you have a streaming device. Just like your streamers though, these come at a cost, but fortunately there are deals that will provide you with a quality streaming device for less.

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What is considered the best streaming device? This all comes down to your preferences such as how much you’re willing to spend, storage space and if you want an extra features like photo storage and the ability to stream music.

Rather than spend hours researching different model of streaming devices, we did the work and rounded up the best streaming device deals to keep you plugged into your favorite programs — without burning a hole in your wallet.

Keep reading to show the deals.

Amazon

Roku Express HD Streaming Device with Simple Remote
$19.00 $29.99 37% OFF

The most budget-friendly pick is the Roku Express, which includes a remote for accessing everything from Netflix to Disney+. Just connect it to wifi and you can stream everything including over 300 live TV channels all in HD quality. The home screen is also customizable to put your most-used apps front and center.

Amazon

Fire TV Stick 4K
$34.99 $49.99 30% OFF

For less than $50, you’ll be able to take advantage of all that Fire TV Stick has to offer including Prime Video as well as access to streaming platforms through Amazon’s app store. The model will play programs in 4K Ultra HD with capability of Dolby Vision, HDR and HDR10+ and has the ability to stream live TV.

Walmart

Chromecast with Google TV
$39.99 $49.98 20% off% OFF

For 20% off you can enjoy all that Chromecast has to offer including six months free of Peacock Premium and personalized recommendations of movies, shows, live TV, Netflix, and more without having to jump from app-to-app. You’ll also be able to use Google Assistant to ask it to search for movies, shows — whatever you want.

Amazon

2021 Apple TV 4K
$123.00 $179.00 31% OFF

If you’re looking to splurge, you can currently snag this version of Apple TV for 31% off and enjoy everything from Apple Music, Apple TV+ and more with just the touch of a button. You’ll also have access to the Apple App Store to download any of the apps and upload photos, watch video on YouTube and more.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of earbuds under $50, the best laptop deals and Amazon Music deals.

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.
Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF team are back together for another dangerous adventure in the latest installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One officially premieres Friday (July 14) exclusively in theaters, which you can purchase tickets for here.

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If you’re a fan of the movie series, are new to the action-packed storylines, or are on a mission to watch every Cruise movie out there, you’ll definitely want to catch up on the previous films before you head to your closest theater.

Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve listed out the best order to watch the Mission: Impossible films below. Should you accept this mission, you’ll be caught up on all the characters and plot points that’ll help avoid any confusion — especially if you attempt to see the latest film without any prior knowledge.

Including the newest addition to the Mission: Impossible series, there are a total of seven films you can sit back and enjoy. The best order to watch the movies is based on their release date, which is as follows: Mission: Impossible, Mission: Impossible 2, Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation, Mission: Impossible — Fallout and Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.

Keep reading to learn how to watch the first six movies.
How to Watch the Mission: Impossible Series for Free

The Mission: Impossible franchise is a part of Paramount, which means Paramount+ subscribers can watch the first six movies for no additional cost.

Not subscribed? Paramount+ starts at just $5.99/month after one week free. You can also choose to bundle Paramount+ with Showtime for $11.99/month and have access to the entire Paramount+ library as well as Showtime’s exclusive library of original TV shows and movies.

Paramount+
$From $5.99/month after 7 days free

The platform is home to a bunch of original shows and movies such as Queen of the Universe, Fatal Attraction, Rabbit Hole, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, 1923, iCarly,The Good Fight, Mayor of Kingstown, Seal Team, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Why Women Kill and Before I Forget.

Subscribers have the option of streaming Paramount+ directly or from Prime Video (ExpressVPN allows you to stream from outside of the U.S.). Not a Prime member? Launch your free 30-day trial here. You can also click here for more ways to land a 30-day free trial to Paramount+.

Other Ways to Watch the Mission: Impossible Series

For those who’d rather own the movies and grow their Mission: Impossible merch collection, you have the option to buy the movies series on DVD. It comes in three versions including 4K, Blue-ray and DVD. You can also buy the movie collection on Prime Video here for $29.99.

Mission: Impossible 6-Movie Collection (4K UHD + Blu-ray + Digital)
$56.99 $83.99 32% OFF

Keep a hardcopy of the Mission: Impossible series in the form of this collectable box set that includes the first six movies. It comes in 4K resolution allowing you to watch Cruise and his team in the highest resolution as they fight life-threatening forces and save the world.

Check below to watch the trailer for Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.

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Imagine Dragons are bringing a concert straight to your living room with a new documentary special. On Friday (July 14), Hulu is dropping Imagine Dragons: Live in Vegas, a concert experience that will showcase the rise of the band from their early days of playing shows at casinos and dive bars to becoming the sensation we know and love today.

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Hulu and Imagine Dragons took to Instagram on June 21 to announce the special with a trailer teasing what to expect.

“This is the first tour I knew we were Imagine Dragons,” lead singer Dan Reynolds said in the trailer. Throughout the rest of the video is clips of the bandmates giving sit-down interviews as well as scenes from their tour and performance in Las Vegas.

Throughout the film, you’ll get to hear from the bandmates themselves as they delve into their past as a small indie band and the thoughts and feelings they have toward what they’ve grown into. All of that leads to their performance in Las Vegas — a city significant to the band, as it’s where they grew and shaped their music together.

Keep reading to learn how to stream Imagine Dragons: Live in Vegas.

How to Watch Imagine Dragons: Live in Vegas

The documentary special is a Hulu Original, which means it’s exclusive to the streamer. Those who already have a subscription can watch it for free, but you’ll need to subscribe in order to watch it.

Not subscribed to Hulu? Now’s your chance to join for free for the first month as the streamer is offering a 30-day free trial. Hulu’s most popular membership plan is the ad-supported package, which is $7.99/month. For a commercial-free experience, you can subscribe to Hulu’s premium plan for $14.99/month, which gives you everything from the ad-supported plan, plus you can download programs and stream them offline.

Hulu $From $7.99/month after 30 days free

For additional savings, bundle Hulu with Disney+ and ESPN+ for $12.99/month. Don’t want to bundle? Hulu members can add Disney+ by itself for an extra $2.99/month and additional channels like Starz for an added charge. Additionally, students can subscribe to Hulu for just $1.99 a month.

Looking for live TV? Try Hulu + Live TV for $69.99/month. The streaming package comes with over 75 live channels, DVR storage plus access to Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+. Hulu users can even create up to six profiles under one account and stream from up to two different screens at once. Hulu is also accessible from your smart TV, laptop, notebook or gaming console.

Watch the trailer for Imagine Dragons: Live in Vegas below.

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Staten Island’s favorite vampires are finally gracing our screens! What We Do in the Shadows officially returns for its fifth season starting Thursday (July 13) on FX and Hulu. This time around we can expect more mischief and tomfoolery as the gang navigates their first trip to the mall and more.

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The mockumentary continues to follow the hilarious nightly lives of ancient vampires who have lived together as roommates for centuries. Together along with their loyal familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), the group navigates the modern world and all the complications that come with it. What can we expect this season? Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) running for office, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) reconnecting with her roots and Lazlo (Matt Berry) and Guillermo spending more time together — which proves to create jealously from Nandor (Kayvan Novak).

Keep reading for streaming options to watch the new season.
When and How to Watch What We Do in the Shadows Season 5

What We Do in the Shadows season five premieres Thursday (July 13) at 10 p.m. ET on FX and on Hulu. Anyone with the FX channel will be able to watch the series live — just check your program channel guide to find FX. If you don’t have cable you may be able to stream the series live through an HD antenna. Hulu subscribers will be able to watch the series for no additional cost, just go to the homepage and look under FX Originals.

Not subscribed to Hulu? Hulu’s cheapest, and most popular, subscription plan starts at $7.99/month after a free 30-day trial. The ad-supported plan gets you instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows including a variety of content from ABC, NBC, Fox, FX and other networks, in addition to Hulu Originals like Only Murders in the Building, The Bear, The Handmaid’s Tale, Dollface, The Dropout, White Men Can’t Jump, Back in the Groove, Darby and the Dead, The Mighty Ones, Welcome to Chippendales, Nine Perfect Strangers, Pen15, Sex Appeal, Motherhood, Dead Asleep and The Kardashians.

Hulu
$From $7.99/month after 30 days free

Hulu’s ad-free tier ($14.99/month) has everything included in the ad-supported subscription plan, plus you get to download programs and stream them offline. Additionally, you can subscribe to Hulu + Live TV, which includes the entire Hulu streaming library along with over 75 top channels, live sports, news, events and access to Disney+ and ESPN+. There’s also a bundle with Disney+ for $9.99 a month or add and ESPN+ for $12.99 a month to stream with ads and $19.99 for commercial-free streaming.

Other Ways to Stream What We Do in the Shadows Season 5

Looking for additional savings? You can take advantage of free trials and discounted plans from platforms such as Sling TV, Vidgo or DirecTV Stream for live and on-demand programs (Vidgo has local channels in select areas and ExpressVPN lets users stream from outside of the states). You’ll get a free trial with most of the platforms mentioned above, which means you can watch the What We Do in the Shadows premiere for free.

Check below to watch the trailer for season five.

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The wait is finally over: The season 2 premiere of The Summer I Turned Pretty arrives Thursday (July 13) on Prime Video. Whether you’ve read the book or not, just looking at the trailer tells us we’re in for another drama-filled season.

Expect a season filled with themes of grief, growing up and, of course, young love as Belly (Lola Tung) finds herself at odds with Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad (Christopher Briney) after the events of season 1. Both brothers are still vying for her heart, and as Belly tries to sort out her feelings, outside factors — including the return of Susannah’s (Rachel Blanchard) cancer and a threat on the Cousins Beach house — will force her to put her feelings aside and fight for what she wants.

‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 2 Is Coming: Read the Book Before It Drops on…

07/13/2023

If the season 2 trailers are any indication, fans should also expect more Taylor Swift music in the new episodes, with previews featuring “August” from Swift’s 2020 album Folklore as well as the debut of “Back to December (Taylor’s Version)” from her just-released re-recording of 2010’s Speak Now.

Other cast members you can expect to see in season 2 include Rain Spencer as Belly’s best friend Taylor, Sean Kaufman as Steven and Jackie Chung as Belly and Steven’s mother Laurel. Others include Minnie Mills, David Iacono, Colin Ferguson, Summer Madison, Jocelyn Shelfo and Lilah Pate.

Keep reading to learn how to watch the show.
When and How to Watch The Summer I Turned Pretty

The first two episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty will air Thursday (July 13) starting at 8 p.m. ET, with new episodes airing every Friday afterward. If you have a Prime membership, you can watch the series for free, or you can subscribe to Prime Video to gain access to its full library of content.

Already subscribed to Prime? To stream The Summer I Turned Pretty, click the link below or visit the Amazon or Prime Video homepage, either from the app or online, and click on the series under the Prime Originals section.

If you’re not a Prime member, take advantage of its 30-day free trial to stream The Summer I Turned Pretty and more on Prime Video. Amazon’s streaming platform offers a huge selection of exclusive movies, TV shows and documentaries, along with episodes from popular network and cable shows, and a bunch of films that you can buy or rent.

‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ on Prime Video
$Watch with a 30-day free trial

Along with The Summer I Turned Pretty, you can watch more Prime Originals and exclusives such as Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Citadel, The Horror of Dolores Roach, I’m a Virgo, Daisy Jones & The Six, M3gan, Armageddon Time, The Boys, The Grand Tour: Euro Crash, Nope, Jurassic World: Dominion, Air, The Peripheral, The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, Shotgun Wedding, Good Omens and more.

Once the free trial ends, a monthly Prime Video subscription will be $14.99/month and is just one of the many perks Prime members can enjoy. Besides Prime Video and Amazon Music, Prime members get access to deep discounts during and after Prime Day, free shipping on millions of items, grocery deliveries; a free year membership to GrubHub+ and other member-only benefits.

You’ll also be able to add on premium channels to your Prime Video account including Max, Paramount+, Starz and Showtime, along with sporting events that are available to stream live and on demand. Members can stream sports on Prime Video, including MLB TV, NBA TV and Thursday Night Football, which returns to Prime Video later this year.

The Summer I Turned Pretty fans can also stock up on exclusive merch from the series’ official Amazon store.

Check out the trailer for season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty:

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In the first half of 2023, an average of 112,000 new tracks were added daily to digital service providers such as Spotify and Apple Music, Luminate revealed in its 2023 midyear report Wednesday (July 12). That’s an increase of 19.9% from the 93,400 new tracks uploaded daily to digital platforms in the first half of 2022.
At the current rate, digital services will add around 41 million tracks this year, about 7 million more than the 34.1 million tracks added in 2022 and more than double the 16.4 million tracks added in 2018.

The flood of tracks did not bring a commensurate increase in listening, however. While the number of tracks uploaded to digital platforms grew 19.9%, audio on-demand streaming rose only 13.5%. That disconnect between supply and on-demand streams is not unusual. In 2022, on-demand streams increased 12.2% while average daily new tracks grew 12%. But in 2021, on-demand streams grew 9.9% while average daily new tracks grew 18%.

Low barriers to recording and distributing digital music give unknown artists a chance to compete against established, big-budget releases. Major labels — some of whom, like Universal Music Group, have endorsed a system that rewards their music with better royalty payouts — accounted for just 3.3% of new tracks added to digital platforms through June 30. Streaming services are filled with music not just from independent labels — who may be distributed by companies owned by the majors — but also independent musicians, bedroom producers using inexpensive digital audio workstations and a variety of “functional music,” a term used for generic music that often fills streaming playlists aimed at helping people sleep, relax or study.

The possibility that 112,000 new tracks per day will seem low in a few years is causing consternation in some quarters of the music business. A new generation of AI tools will further reduce the barriers to creating music. Just as generative AI programs such as Midjourney and DALL-E-2 create images based on text prompts, AI will instantly create songs without the need for musical expertise or technical ability. “We see a huge market with many billions of original unique songs, similar to photos,” Alex Mitchell, CEO of AI music platform Boomy, told Billboard earlier this year. Such a scenario had previously prompted Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge to warn against “a vast and unnavigable number of tracks” of “lower-quality functional content” created to game algorithms and “divert royalties.”

While independently released music and AI content chips away at major labels’ market shares, the majors continue to produce hits that stand out in an increasingly crowded field. The most popular albums and tracks fared well in the first half of 2023. The top 10 albums took a 2.49% share of equivalent album units (EAUs), up from 2.18% in the first half of 2022. That improvement can be chalked up to Morgan Wallen, whose album One Thing at a Time had 3.31 million EAUs — 67% greater than the No. 2 album, SZA’s SOS. Excluding the No. 1 albums from each half-year period, the remaining top 10 albums’ share of 1.88% in the first half of 2023 was almost equal to the 1.85% in the prior-year period.

Led by Wallen’s “Last Night” and SZA’s “Kill Bill,” the most popular tracks also increased their share of total streams. The top 10 tracks at the midway point of 2023 owned a 0.63% share of on-demand audio streams, well above their 0.5% share in the prior-year period.