Welcome to Music Enterprise Worldwide’s weekly round-up – the place we be certain that you caught the 5 greatest tales to hit our headlines over the previous seven days. MBW’s round-up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximize their revenue and cut back their touring prices.
MBW’s most-read tales this week centered on the authorized dispute between Drake and Common Music Group over Kendrick Lamar‘s diss monitor Not Like Us.
The fallout took a dramatic flip this week when Drake filed a defamation lawsuit in opposition to the corporate, with UMG outright rejecting the declare.
In different UMG information, the agency introduced that Pershing Sq. Holdings, led by billionaire investor Invoice Ackman, has requested a secondary itemizing of the music firm on a US inventory change. Pershing Sq. Holdings should promote $500 million of UMG inventory to make the US itemizing occur.
Elsewhere this week, the Supreme Courtroom upheld the legislation requiring TikTok to promote its US operations or shut down within the US. Stories point out President-elect Donald Trump is contemplating an government order to delay the legislation’s implementation.
Plus, MBW reported on the rising whispers that $500 million-valued Tempo Music would be the subsequent main acquisition within the enterprise.
The music business’s consideration and sympathy continued to be directed to Los Angeles this week within the wake of the devastating wildfires. The FireAid profit live performance – produced by Shelli & Irving Azoff and the Azoff household, together with Reside Nation and AEG Presents – has confirmed quite a few performers for the January 30 charity occasion.
Right here’s what occurred this week…
Right here’s what occurred this week…
1) THE NEXT BIG MUSIC BIZ ACQUISITION WILL BE $500M-VALUED TEMPO MUSIC, SAY MBW SOURCES
Three years in the past, MBW informed you that Tempo Music, the music rights fund launched by non-public fairness large Windfall, was trying to promote its catalog at a valuation of round $500 million.
The sale didn’t occur. As rates of interest started to rise steeply in markets together with the UK and US, blockbuster acquisitive exercise in music famously cooled.
Final yr, although, with rates of interest declining and/or trying extra steady in main territories, chatter started to choose again up about Tempo.
Now we’re listening to more and more loud whispers that we’re weeks away from the conclusion to this story: a sale of Tempo’s portfolio at a valuation of round half a billion {dollars}…
2) UNIVERSAL MUSIC HITS BACK AT DRAKE, SAYS HE ‘SEEKS TO WEAPONIZE THE LEGAL PROCESS TO SILENCE AN ARTIST’S CREATIVE EXPRESSION’
Common Music Group has responded to a defamation lawsuit filed by Drake on Wednesday (January 15).
Inside the lawsuit, the famous person artist accuses UMG of selling a “false and malicious narrative” about him through the content material of the lyrics, single art work, and music video for the Kendrick Lamar diss monitor Not Like Us.
In response to the defamation lawsuit, a spokesperson for Common Music Group informed MBW that “not solely are these claims unfaithful, however the notion that we might search to hurt the popularity of any artist — not to mention Drake — is illogical.”
UMG’s spokesperson added the corporate “will vigorously defend this litigation to guard our individuals and our popularity…”
The clock is formally ticking for TikTok in the USA.
Final Friday (January 10), attorneys for the social media app tried to persuade US Supreme Courtroom Justices to both scrap or briefly block a legislation that might see TikTok banned available in the market if its Chinese language proprietor ByteDance doesn’t promote the app within the US by January 19.
Right this moment (January 17), the Supreme Courtroom introduced its choice: The legislation shall be upheld, which implies TikTok’s US operations have to be divested to keep away from being shut down available in the market – the place it counts over 170 million customers…
4) UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP SET TO LIST ON US EXCHANGE; PERSHING SQUARE TO SELL $500M IN UMG STOCK TO MAKE IT HAPPEN
Common Music Group (UMG) introduced Wednesday (January 15) that Pershing Sq. Holdings, led by billionaire investor Invoice Ackman, has requested a secondary itemizing of the music firm on a US inventory change.
Beneath a beforehand disclosed settlement, UMG will facilitate an underwritten providing for Pershing Sq. to promote a portion of its shares by September 15, 2025.
The deal requires Pershing to promote at the least $500 million value of its UMG holdings as a part of the itemizing course of…
Shelli and Irving Azoff, and the Azoff household, have teamed up with Reside Nation and AEG Presents to host two profit live shows to boost funds for communities devastated by the continued wildfires in Southern California.
Among the many headliners for the FireAid live shows are Billie Eilish and Finneas, Earth, Wind & Fireplace, Gracie Abrams, Inexperienced Day, Gwen Stefani, Jelly Roll, Joni Mitchell, Katy Perry, Girl Gaga, Lil Child, P!nk, Purple Sizzling Chili Peppers, Rod Stewart, Sting, Stephen Stills, Stevie Nicks, and Tate McRae. Moreover, Dave Matthews and John Mayer will carry out collectively for the primary time.
Each live shows will happen the identical evening – Thursday, January 30 – on the Intuit Dome and the Kia Discussion board, each in Inglewood, L.A….
MBW’s Weekly Spherical-Up is supported by Centtrip, which helps over 500 of the world’s best-selling artists maximise their revenue and cut back their touring prices.Music Enterprise Worldwide