AGP Executive Report

Grammys Fallout: BTS says it won’t submit music for the 69th Grammys, pointing to the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category and the timing of the change. AI & Songwriter Protection: ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews marks a decade leading the PRO and argues copyright law must stop unauthorized AI training that undercuts creators. Indie Publishing Meets AI: IMPEL and IMPF launch a closed “sandbox” with Sureel AI to test attribution for generative AI use and push for fair licensing. Streaming Habits: A Canada audio study finds AM/FM radio still leads ad-supported listening, while YouTube music is catching up to major streaming services. New Releases & Deals: Davido drops the full tracklist for Oriadé (13 tracks, July 31) and Ramayana’s music rights land at Rs 75 crore via T-Series. Live & Community: SoLa’s Beehive Block Party spotlights young talent and next-gen live entertainment in South LA.

Artist Representation: WME signed roots icon Rhiannon Giddens for worldwide representation, adding to her already packed slate across music, film, opera and education. Christian Music Leadership: K-Love named Andrew Lambeth chief marketing and communications officer, tasking him with communications, creative and marketing for the ministry. Live Music Policy: Queensland unveiled its first Nightlife Economy Action Plan aimed at safer, more vibrant precincts, venue support and modernized sound rules ahead of 2032. Music Industry Business: Secretly Distribution promoted Kristian Downs to executive director, platform operations, with continued focus on its RIOT repertoire system and metadata infrastructure. Soundtrack Spotlight: Tems was tapped as executive music producer/curator for the official soundtrack to Paramount’s fantasy film Children of Blood and Bone, with Burna Boy also onboard. Local Scene & Culture: Yarra’s Leaps and Bounds wrapped with a push for more venue upgrades and grants as costs squeeze live music. Tech & Music: A YouTube/Apple Music hack briefly posted unauthorized content tied to Drake and D4vd, with removals following.

Cybersecurity & Leaks: Ariana Grande has filed a Los Angeles lawsuit against anonymous hackers, alleging they stole “hundreds” of unreleased songs, demos, footage and photos from collaborators’ accounts, including 45 unreleased tracks in 2023, and sold material on the dark web. Cultural Accountability: Filipino-American music director Troy Laureta criticized racist and colorist remarks tied to Vice Ganda’s “satire,” urging the industry to stop using Black people and Filipinos as stereotypes. Pop Market Watch: KATSEYE’s “Animal” is getting major UK Official Charts attention as the HYBE/Geffen girl group climbs toward mainstream UK pop. K-Pop Spotlight: Boy group NouerA energized fans with a comeback showcase for mini 4th album “.exe,” mixing new tracks with fan favorites and behind-the-scenes talk. Live Music & Community: Brooklyn’s STooPS Summer Festival returns Aug. 8 for its 13th free block party and art crawl, while Chicago’s 400 Theater in Rogers Park is set to reopen this week. Industry Deals: BMG signed Shaznay Lewis to a global publishing agreement covering her full catalogue and future works. Local Scene: Hagerstown’s late-summer calendar adds weekly music and markets, including MDWK Music & Market on July 29.

Music Biz & Streaming: Universal Music wrapped its €500M share buyback, confirming the program is now complete after buying 634,455 shares in late July. AI & Rights: Germany’s GEMA launched a fully cleared “PLAI” music dataset for AI developers, pushing the idea that training and fair pay can coexist. Chart Watch: Charli XCX’s Music, Fashion, Film is surging toward another No.1 album, with early sales led by physical. Release Strategy: Lionsgate set Michael for a Starz landing on Aug. 10, extending the biopic’s $1B box-office momentum into TV. Live & Touring: Kacey Musgraves canceled three Middle of Nowhere Tour dates due to scheduling, while Roxette’s arena run got hit by “blue dot fever” ticketing issues. Industry People: Spotify creative strategist Jay Norman exited to lead Verse + Hook, a culture-first consultancy with a sync arm. Local Scene: The Motown Museum is getting a $75M expansion ahead of a 2027 reopening. Controversy: Boy George released a pro-Israel track amid renewed backlash over Gaza-related music statements.

Global K-pop Push: South Korea’s pop-culture committee announced “Fanomenon,” a Seoul global music festival running Dec 2–12, 2027, with major concerts, fandom awards, and exhibitions across Seoul Arena and KINTEX. Live Music Economics (UK): England’s 20% business rates cut for pubs, clubs, and live music venues drew mixed reactions from hospitality groups, with critics saying it’s too small and too delayed to fix wider cost pressures. US Genre Momentum: A Luminate mid-year report says electronic music is the fastest-growing genre in the US in 2026, while R&B and hip-hop still dominate overall online listening. Afrofuturist Art Meets Funk: George Clinton’s “Mothership” art show opened in Chicago, expanding his P-Funk universe beyond music. Bluegrass Recognition: Lexington vocalist Greg Blake earned another 2026 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year nomination. AI + Music Industry: Namibia’s government allocated N$10m to revive the NAMAs, while separate coverage highlights how AI is reshaping music work and policy debates. Festival Ticket Watch: Lollapalooza 2026 returns July 30–Aug 2 in Chicago, with primary tickets moving fast.

Stadium Rock Returns (Australia/NZ): System Of A Down and Faith No More just confirmed a 2027 Australia + New Zealand run, with Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Wellington dates set for Jan–Feb and tickets going on general sale July 31. Global Pop Catharsis: Shakira opened up on what helped her move on after Gerard Piqué’s cheating, calling writing “BZRP Music Sessions #53” “pure catharsis.” Indie Showcase Pipeline: New Zealand’s Going Global 2026 lineup is set—23 Aotearoa independent artists will perform Aug. 27–28 for international delegates at Whammy!/Double Whammy!. Awards Spotlight (Africa Hip-Hop): Sierra Leone rapper Kao Denero earned a Best Male Hip-Hop Artist Africa nomination at the NEMA Awards 2026 in Nairobi. Physical Media Tension: Sony’s plan to cut PS5 disc production in 2028 sparked backlash after it promoted a vinyl player, with critics calling it tone-deaf. Live Music + Community: New Orleans’ Wicker Park Fest and Las Vegas gospel residency announcements keep the touring and local-scene momentum going, while drive-in and flea-market fundraisers support fire victims. Market Pressure (Lebanon): War and economic strain are shrinking Lebanon’s wedding season, hitting hospitality and live entertainment.

UK Live Music Relief: New Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s 20% business rates cut for pubs, clubs and live music venues is landing as a “good first step” in England, with MPs in Ipswich saying it could save pubs about £1,100 a year while landlords warn it won’t fix everything. Grassroots Venues: London’s Tottenham is getting Radial, a 250–300 capacity grassroots music venue opening Sept 5, built for intimate shows plus workshops. Festival Focus: Lollapalooza 2026 is back in Chicago with a female-heavy headliner lineup (Lorde, Charli XCX, Tate McRae, Olivia Dean) and daily picks for what to see. Artist Career Reality Check: Afrobeats singer Aayo says “good music” and consistency beat viral hype for long-term survival in entertainment. Music Business & Tech: Samsung is pitching its smart glasses as a smartphone extension, while AI music tools and datasets keep pushing into the mainstream. Global Music Stories: Cameroon’s New Bell prison is home to Jail Time Records, turning inmates into mini stars via an on-site studio. New Releases: Moneybagg Yo returns with “I See Why,” out now via CMG/N-Less/Interscope.

Pop Culture Buzz: Fans are pushing for “Beautiful Liar 2.0,” hoping Beyoncé and Shakira will reunite for a sequel to their 2007 hit after fresh tour momentum and nonstop social chatter. Live Music & Community: Worcester’s Summer Gospel Fest returned to Worcester Common with church singers, bands, and DJ Craig Nice for its 11th year, while Wrexham Pride brought live music and a march to Llwyn Isaf as part of its 37th anniversary run. Music Business & AI: Sony is set to stop supporting network services on older audio/home devices starting Nov. 17, including Spotify and Netflix on many models—another reminder that streaming access can vanish even when hardware still works. AI Safety: A report on deepfake scams highlights how cloned voices and realistic video are getting harder to spot, with Interpol warning about the rise of AI-enabled cybercrime. Global Industry Moves: D’Banj’s C.R.E.A.M platform is reviving “Best of The Streets” with CINQ Music, selecting 10 emerging African artists for mentorship and international distribution. Charts: BLACKPINK’s Jennie’s “Less than a Lover” debuted at No. 1 on iTunes in 27 countries and topped YouTube trending worldwide.

UK Hospitality Relief: Andy Burnham’s new government is cutting business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues by 20% from next April, with an estimated £1,100 average annual saving for eligible sites—though landlords warn it won’t fix VAT and other cost pressures fast enough. Live Music & Culture: Charli XCX drops Music, Fashion, Film, a darker, more introspective follow-up to Brat, leaning into music/film/fashion references and a slower mood. Global Festival Buzz: Dream Fest 2026 continues at Sea Breeze, featuring Eurovision winner Nigar Jamal and major Azerbaijani and Turkish acts, including a new Roza Zargarlı–Emre Altuğ collaboration. Music Community Stories: A young Black creator, ThatKidZayy, is using reaction videos to break genre “boundaries” and build a cross-generational music community. Royalties Tension (Malawi): COSOMA’s royalty distribution faces renewed backlash over transparency and missing payments, with artists demanding clearer explanations. Loss in Hardcore: Sick of It All frontman Lou Koller dies at 59 after a cancer battle.

UK Hospitality Relief: Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced a 20% business rates cut for pubs, clubs, and live music venues in England from April, aiming to support about 32,000 businesses—though local MPs and venue groups warn it may not be enough and must reach places like Wales too. Local Live Music & Community: Burlington’s free Festival of Fools returns July 31–Aug 1 with 70+ performances, while Durham’s craft beer scene keeps shrinking as multiple breweries close, showing how costs are hitting music-adjacent nightlife. New Releases & Tours: Morgan Wallen drops “Been By Now,” Kelsea Ballerini joins Patrick Droney on “Made You Look,” and Bad Bunny wraps his record-breaking $467.5M world tour. Music Business Watch: A Baltimore-area restaurant faces an outdoor music license review after repeated late-night noise complaints, and a Canadian guitar-effects tariff warning signals higher costs for US buyers of imported gear. AI & Copyright: Meta is accused of downloading illicit adult content for AI training, as lawsuits and free-speech debates keep intensifying around generative AI and copyrighted material.

AI Copyright Clash: India’s Delhi High Court is set to rule on whether OpenAI can be restrained from using copyrighted material to train ChatGPT, with music industry groups among the parties. AI Music Legal War: Sony Music has sued Udio again, alleging infringement of 30,000+ tracks used to train AI models, after an earlier multi-label case. Platform Deal: SoundCloud acquired Nina Protocol, aiming to fold the independent platform’s direct-to-fans model and editorial archive into SoundCloud. Royalty/Ownership Tension: Amaal Mallik escalated a public dispute with Tanishk Bagchi over credits and alleged copying tied to “Saiyaara.” UK Live-Music Relief: Andy Burnham announced a 20% business rates cut for pubs, clubs and live music venues in England (April 2027), but restaurants say the carve-out is unfair. Grassroots Venue Protection: Fatboy Slim backed Music Venue Properties’ community purchase of Brighton’s The Pipeline to secure its future. New Irish Label: Fontaines DC drummer Tom Coll launched Inis Records, a label and store dedicated to Irish music. Album Spotlight: Charli XCX released “Music, Fashion, Film,” a grittier, guitar-driven pivot with a tight 11-track runtime.

Global Label Expansion: Kenya’s President William Ruto says Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group will set up in Nairobi, aiming to turn the city into a bigger recorded-music hub for Africa. Music Biz & Policy: In England, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s 20% business rates cut for pubs, clubs, and live music venues is being welcomed by operators, but some say the savings are too small versus rising wages, energy, and other costs. AI Music & Streaming: Deezer is cracking down on AI-generated music and fake streaming, while broader AI music creation and licensing battles keep heating up across platforms and labels. Bollywood Credit Fight: Composer Amaal Mallik publicly escalated his feud with Tanishk Bagchi over alleged song credit and royalty issues tied to “Saiyaara.” Local Live Scene: From Madison to Alton and beyond, weekend listings highlight how festivals and community gigs keep live music front and center. New Releases: Ghanaian artist QueenBalance debuts “Emaa Bi Bre,” while QueenBalance’s launch adds to a busy week of emerging singles.

UK Hospitality Relief: Prime Minister Andy Burnham confirmed a 20% cut to business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues in England from April 2027, expected to save a typical pub about £1,100 a year and help nearly 32,000 venues, with funding tied to reviewing reliefs for businesses deemed not to “positively contribute” (including vape shops) and cracking down on tax-avoidance via online marketplaces. Industry Pushback: Retail and travel groups welcomed the move but warned it shouldn’t leave other high-street businesses behind, arguing the wider visitor economy needs support too. Live Music & Culture: Latitude Festival returns to Henham Park with David Byrne, Teddy Swims and Lewis Capaldi headlining, while Harbourfront Centre will host the official launch of Reggae Month Canada during Island Soul. AI Music Pressure: Deezer says AI-generated music now makes up over half of daily uploads, and Suno is facing fallout after a major data breach involving 55 million users. Global Music Business: Spotify highlighted Atif Aslam’s massive international streaming reach ahead of his new album, and K-pop rookie CORTIS’ GREENGREEN crossed 3M sales. Entertainment Expansion: SM Prime is ramping up live-event bookings at its new Cebu arena, partnering with Ticketmaster for SM Ticketmaster.

World Cup Streaming Surge: Luminate reports big post-halftime jumps from Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS and Shakira—Bieber’s “Everything Hallelujah” up 110% globally, Shakira/Burna Boy’s “Dai Dai” up 24% globally (52% in the U.S.). K-pop Japan Push: ILLIT lands a major OST placement—“I Got Your Back” opens ABEMA drama “Vacation Law,” as the group ramps up its Japan rollout. New K-pop Debut: JYP subsidiary INITT launches OURBIRTHDAY with “HUNGRY (Side A)” and a fast follow-up on Mnet’s “M Countdown.” Platform Moves: SoundCloud acquires the shut-down web3 indie platform Nina Protocol, aiming to bring Nina’s editorial archive and tools into SoundCloud’s creator ecosystem. Music Biz & Royalties: Apple Music raises subscription prices again, citing rising licensing costs. Live Music & Community: Royal Albert Hall launches FutureFocus, a mentorship for 18–25 aspiring live-event photographers. Local Scene Spotlight: Mile of Music in Appleton goes nonprofit and keeps its “no cover songs” pledge for a July 30–Aug 2 run.

AI & Audio Business: Deezer says fully AI music hit 50%+ of daily uploads (90,000 tracks), while Deezer also cracks down on AI-generated music and fake streaming; meanwhile, the AFM is pushing back in court to keep its lawsuit alive against Universal and Warner over Suno/Udio AI licensing deals. Streaming & Pricing: Apple Music raised subscription prices in multiple markets, citing rising licensing costs, adding pressure to already tight music budgets. Music Tech Partnerships: Spotify rolls out its first global music video chart and expands its video push; Musixmatch will sponsor the Women In Music Awards Businesswoman of the Year category. Global Market Watch: Burna Boy is back at #1 as Africa’s best-selling artist (14.46m equivalent album units). Live/Production: Tyler Perry Studios adds a virtual production-enabled soundstage for film, TV, music videos, and livestreams by end-2026. Legal/Industry: Sony files another AI infringement lawsuit against Udio, alleging 30,000 songs were used to train models. Local Scene: A new virtual production soundstage and multiple community music events highlight how venues keep adapting.

Streaming Economics: Apple raised prices on Apple Music and some Apple One tiers, citing higher licensing costs—another reminder that subscription pricing is still moving even as competition heats up. AI Rights & Attribution: Canada’s SOCAN partnered with Musical AI to push opt-in consent plus credit and compensation controls for creators whose work informs AI-generated music. AI Legal Pressure: Sony Music filed a supersized infringement lawsuit against AI startup Udio, arguing over 30,000 recordings are involved as the battle over AI training and use keeps escalating. Digital Licensing Expansion: AllTrack signed a multi-territory digital licensing deal with SACEM covering streaming and download royalties across 130+ countries, aiming for faster cross-border payouts. Physical Retail & Community: Montreal’s Steve’s Music Store closed after 61 years, underscoring how much musicians value in-person instrument shopping. Industry Leadership: Triple Tigers named Raffaella Braun and Annie Ortmeier as an all-female co-president tandem, signaling continued shifts in country music exec ranks. Touring Spotlight: Don Was & The Pan-Detroit Ensemble announced 2026 fall tour dates across the U.S.