AI & Music
The new “AI Persona” badge targets profiles that present a photorealistic AI-generated person as the artist. It says nothing about how a song was actually made.
Mark Rosenberg · September 20, 2026 · 3 min read
Analysis · AI & Music
Over the past year rights holders have used litigation, settlements and licensing deals, sometimes against the same company. A guide to who is doing what.
Mark Rosenberg · September 20, 2026 · 2 min read
AI & Music
The multi-year agreement is ElevenLabs’ first with a major label. The announcement leaves out the financial terms, the revenue split and a launch date.
Mark Rosenberg · September 20, 2026 · 2 min read
What changed?
A new rights-holder deal, a watermarking push and monthly download limits arrived within weeks of each other. Here is how they fit together.
Mark Rosenberg · September 20, 2026 · 2 min read
Analysis · Distribution
Spotify does not take uploads from artists directly. Here is the free route: pick a distributor, prepare the release, claim your profile and pitch the track, plus the trade-offs of free distribution.
Mark Rosenberg · October 17, 2026 · 2 min read
Analysis · Distribution
July and August YouTube earnings are still not in DistroKid accounts. On Reddit, artists talk about paying bills, leaving the distributor and a lawsuit nobody has shown evidence of. Here is what is known, what is guesswork, and a realistic timeline.
Mark Rosenberg · October 7, 2026 · 8 min read
Distribution
Open your DistroKid earnings page and you may see a two-sentence notice about delayed YouTube money. The wording is short, and what it leaves out is why artists are asking questions on Reddit and elsewhere.
Mark Rosenberg · October 7, 2026 · 3 min read
Distribution
July and August YouTube earnings are late. DistroKid blames YouTube, artists want a date, and the timing of UMG’s lawsuit has people asking whether the two are linked.
Mark Rosenberg · October 2, 2026 · 3 min read
Deals
The deal, reported at between $3.5 billion and $4 billion, closed July 15. It is Sony’s largest acquisition from the former Hipgnosis portfolio.
Mark Rosenberg · September 20, 2026 · 2 min read
Deals
The reported $1.5 billion deal includes Kobalt’s owned copyrights and its digital collection society AMRA. Songwriters are left asking what, if anything, changes.
Mark Rosenberg · September 20, 2026 · 2 min read
Analysis · Distribution
Several well-known names have quietly stopped offering a free tier. We checked the published terms of the services that still do, and ranked them on what an independent artist actually gets: share of royalties, stores, review and rights.
Mark Rosenberg · October 17, 2026 · 5 min read
Analysis · Distribution
Spotify does not take uploads from artists directly. Here is the free route: pick a distributor, prepare the release, claim your profile and pitch the track, plus the trade-offs of free distribution.
Mark Rosenberg · October 17, 2026 · 2 min read
What changed?
A new rights-holder deal, a watermarking push and monthly download limits arrived within weeks of each other. Here is how they fit together.
What changed?
The multi-year agreement covers recordings and publishing, and adds a joint commitment to remove unauthorized AI-generated music from the platform.
Key developments in music, streaming, AI, rights and the business behind the songs — delivered without the noise.
