UD's flagship event, Industry Takeover, reveals full September line-up featuring first time collaborations with BBC Music and V&A East 18 Sep 2024
Four days of knowledge sharing and expertise from the industry’s finest
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A U-Talk powered by Universal Music introducing executives from Polydor, Decca and Island Records;
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A session on Unlocking Revenue Streams powered by PRS for Music with BAFTA Breakthrough composer Jamal Green, UK R&B rising star Nippa, British singer and rapper Jords, Pink Floyd-influenced producer / artist Richard Carter and European Entertainment Marketing lead at Puma, Vaniece J;
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A panel on How to Steal My Job with industry players from BBC Introducing London, PRS for Music, Soundcloud and UK Music;
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Meet The Experts, masterclasses and speed networking sessions with BBC Music, CC Young & Co, Handle Recruitment, London Legacy Development Good Growth Hub, PPL, Small Green Shoots, Un:hurd and Y Royalties.
NEWS & PRESS
Career achievements of Stephen Taverner to be recognised at the Artist & Manager Awards
The hugely popular founder of East City Management will receive the award for Managers' Manager Shortlists for Artist Of The Year (sponsored by Tixel) & Manager of the Year revealed An inaugural Earth Action Award will be presented to NATURE the artist...more
Music Nation starts formal operations, launching new era of opportunity for UAE artists
Chairwoman Rasha Khalifa Al Mubarak Announces Senior Leadership Team: Amer M. Samhoun named Chief Executive Officer; James K. Petrie appointed Chief Operating Officer; Ali Dee joins as Chief Creative Officer Music Nation Copyrights Management ("Music Nation"), a pioneer in music rights...more
Amsterdam Dance Event looks back on record breaking edition and announces dates for 30 year anniversary in 2026
Amsterdam Dance Event looks back on record breaking edition and announces dates for 30 year anniversary in 2026 The dates are set: October 21 - 25, 2026 Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) announces the dates for its 30 YEARS ADE anniversary edition in...more
Brits spend over £580 a month on entertainment and leisure, but 61% regret social media-driven purchases
A new study from credit card brand Aqua has revealed how Brits are spending on lifestyle, and what drives certain purchases Eating out tops the list of lifestyle spending categories, with over half of Brits indulging in restaurants and takeaways 70% of Brits admit...more
Noctil leverages The MLC’s public musical works database
Noctil leverages The MLC’s public musical works database to give its users the ability to view The MLC’s data for unmatched sound recording products and musical works with unclaimed shares within the Noctil platform The latest in a series of strategic...more
Impala warns of risks to cultural diversity posed by UMG/Downtown deal
A crucial element in reviewing mergers in the music sector is what’s at stake for the ecosystem and cultural diversity. A new paper published by IMPALA predicts that the proposed UMG/Downtown acquisition carries significant risks for both the quantity and...more
Latest PPL Momentum Music Fund and PPL Momentum Sbardun | Accelerator grantees announced
10 talented UK artists in genres including pop, folk, R&B, jazz and rock receiving PPL Momentum Music support These selected grantees mark the 50th round of the landmark fund, supporting 623 artists at a career tipping point since its launch in 2013 4...more
Best performing National Album Day to date
Vinyl LP sales rose 54% over the National Album Day weekend, and were up 23.9% year-on-year A third of the Top 100 Official Vinyl Albums Chart was made up of titles released exclusively for National Album Day 2025, also accounting for...more
Sony Music Publishing UK Renews Exclusive Global Deal with Daecolm
Sony Music Publishing today announced it has renewed an exclusive worldwide publishing agreement with British artist and songwriter Daecolm. The deal renews the company’s long-established partnership with Daecolm, which began in 2016, and covers his existing catalogue and future recordings. In 2024, Daecolm achieved global success with the international hit “I Adore You”...more
KiTbetter Opens First North American Manufacturing Facility for KiTalbums in Los Angeles, California
KiTbetter, the company behind the patented hybrid KiTalbum format that bridges physical and digital music, has opened its first North American manufacturing facility in Los Angeles, California. The new site marks a major milestone in KiTbetter's global expansion. It will...more
Concord Music Publishing signs songwriter-producer Nickname Jos
Today, Concord Music Publishing announced the signing of artist, songwriter, and producer Josef Kuhn, known professionally as Nickname Jos. The universal co-publishing deal, effective immediately, includes Nickname Jos’ full catalog and future works. Nickname Jos is a multitalented performer, songwriter, and producer that has...more
Wear the music, share the joy: Music therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins launches Christmas jumper collection
Available now at nordoff-and-robbins.teemill.com A percentage of every sale goes directly to Nordoff and Robbins Endorsed by Nordoff and Robbins Music Ambassador, Edith Bowman Created in partnership with sustainable print on demand platform Teemill Nordoff and Robbins, the UK’s largest music therapy charity, has today...more
IMPF establishes key targets across tech, data and emerging markets at Global Music Summit
Record 650 delegates attended 2025 event.Dates set for 2026 event. The IMPF established a number of key targets and priorities for the independent music publishing community across tech, data and newer markets at this year’s Global Music Summit Palma. Dates have also...more
Sophie Ellis-Bextor features on episode 4 of ‘The Red Carpet Treatment - On The Road Presented by Mastercard’
The Red Carpet Treatment - On The Road Presented by Mastercard Hosted by Luke Hamnett Sophie Ellis-Bextor features on episode 4, out TODAY available to watch in full on @BRITs YouTube or on @BRITs social channels The BRIT Awards with Mastercard today releases the fourth...more
Mercury rises for Sam Fender
WINNING ALBUM, PEOPLE WATCHING, ENJOYS 159% CHART SALES INCREASE IN THE OFFICIAL ALBUMS CHART MIDWEEK DATA UK record labels association the BPI, which organises the Mercury Prize, today reports an increase in demand for Sam Fender’s album People Watching after last week’s acclaimed triumph in his hometown. The...more
Industry Organisations Sign Groundbreaking Seat at The Table Inclusion Pledge
ATC Live and Ginger Owl Among First to Sign Pledge, with The Royal Albert Hall, AEG and The O2 Becoming Industry Champions New Live Sector-Wide Pledge Aims to Achieve Gender-Balanced Leadership and Measurable Progress by 2030 Following the release in April of the ‘Seat...more
EJAE signs with WME
EJAE, the vocalist and songwriter behind KPop Demon Hunter’s #1 hit, “Golden,” has signed with WME for worldwide representation in all areas of her music career. A breakout star of Netflix’s record-shattering animated musical film KPop Demon Hunters, EJAE is the...more
Blue Raincoat Music/Reservoir strikes publishing deal with Molly Drake Estate
Nick Drake Publishing Agreement Renewed Blue Raincoat Music Publishing, in conjunction with Reservoir, have signed a global publishing deal with the estate of songwriter and poet Molly Drake and have renewed their existing publishing deal with her late son, the seminal...more
hmv goes Dutch with new store in The Hague to open before end of the year
Music and popular culture retailer hmv is planning to open its first store in The Netherlands with a new site in The Hague in the latter stages of development. The new store will open its doors before the end of...more
Building on the momentum of its inaugural landmark edition SXSW London Announces it is Open for Business for 2026
SXSW London builds on the success of its inaugural year with its 2026 programme. Passes for access across the festival are now available to purchase on the SXSW London website. The leading European platform for the convergence of technology and the creative...more
Independent Venue Week announce Nova Twins as 2026 Artist Ambassadors
The UK’s annual celebration of independent venues, music and culture will run over 7 days and nights from Monday 26th January to Sunday 1st February Nova Twins will perform an exclusive live show as part of the week’s activities More than 200...more
Leading Entertainment Execs Launch Unit1 Studio, The World's First Independent Avatar Concert Producer
Headed by Barney Wragg (AEG, EMI, Really Useful Group, Universal) Breakthrough CGI and AI technologies deliver digital humans virtually indistinguishable from the artists themselves Unlocks potential for immersive avatar concerts through lower production costs and improved time-to-market Partnership with KT Tunstall ahead of...more
PPL announces Dr. Richard James Burgess MBE as new Chair
PPL has appointed Dr. Richard James Burgess MBE as its new Chair. He will succeed John Smith OBE, effective 5 January 2026. Burgess will lead the PPL Board as the organisation continues to grow as a global leader in neighbouring rights...more
2AM introduces Lenny, the first AI agent redefining audience engagement in live entertainment
After a successful large-scale deployment at Rock en Seine, the Paris-based startup brings AI-native communication to festivals and venues. 2AM unveils Lenny, the first AI agent purpose-built for audience engagement and live event operations, covering the full audience journey - before,...more
Tickets For Good bolsters international growth with appointment of veteran ticketing executive Henk Schuit as European board advisor
The ADE Conference Startups alumni reveals latest Netherlands expansion news. TfG boasts almost 600k registered healthcare workers, teachers, and charity workers across UK, EU and U.S. It's distributed 1million+ free and discounted tickets from 1,000+ live event partners, including Dua Lipa, Idles,...more
KiTbetter and Duran Duran Deliver First-Ever Dolby Atmos Upgrade to a Physical Album
Groundbreaking upgrade to 2023's 'Danse Macabre: De Luxe' KiTalbum marks a new era for physical-digital music formats KiTbetter, the company reshaping physical music for the digital era, today announced a world first: the upgrade of a previously released physical album to...more
Yoto Launches David Bowie Card: Introducing the Legendary Artist to a New Generation
Yoto's latest addition to its growing popular music offering is filled with the immortal icon's classic songs Yoto, the award-winning audio platform for kids, today announced the launch of a new Yoto card featuring the timeless work of David Bowie. With...more
The Other Songs announce team expansion
Global independent music and entertainment company The Other Songs have announced the exciting expansion of their team as they recruit music industry executives Louis Brown, joining as General Manager, and Raju Watts, joining as Financial Director. Speaking on today’s news, founders...more
Day Fever partners with Ticketmaster’s Universe
Day Fever, the acclaimed daytime clubbing brand, has entered into a multi-year partnership with Ticketmaster’s white-label ticketing platform Universe, making the company its exclusive ticketing partner.Through the partnership, Day Fever will tap into Universe’s all-in-one ticketing and marketing platform, delivering...more
Simon Dunmore Partners with Armada Music to Launch New Label, NBT Records
The imprint will operate from Armada’s brand-new creative hub in London Acclaimed industry figure Simon Dunmore and Armada Music, the world’s biggest independent dance music label, have partnered to launch NBT Records – a brand-new label dedicated to soulful, dancefloor-driven records. Formed...more
THE HEADLINES
How fan power is reshaping pop (see Features)
The “forever” stakes of generative AI ownership (see Comment)
Lyor Cohen: AI won’t replace artists — it will make them unstoppable (see Opinion)
Omdia tips music publishers’ revenues to hit $10bn this year (see Reports)
Unit1 Studio launches offering potential for immersive avatar concerts through lower production costs (see Digital)
Are we still in the music business? When your POV is worth more than your mp3s (see Opinion)
Is rock’n’roll dead? (see Features)
Book extract: Body Of Work: How The Album Outplayed The Algorithm And Survived Playlist Culture (see Comment)
With MTV channels switching off, is the music video under threat? (see Features)
Spotify partnering with multinational music companies to develop ‘responsible’ AI products (see Digital)
Sam Fender wins 2025 Mercury Prize (see News)
Spotify working on ‘SongDNA’ feature that showcases the people behind tracks (see Digital)
How far should cultural boycotts go? (see Features)
How Subvert is building a co-op owned Bandcamp alternative (see Digital)
Lucian Grainge outlines UMG’s strategy for generative AI partnerships and product development (see News)
The future of music streaming: Change or be changed (see Comment)