Music Business Worldwide

The latest music news from Music Business Worldwide, News, jobs and analysis for the global music industry and on artists new releases and where to get new mp3 songs.

1. Sound Royalties says it closed a record $135m in funded contracts in 2025

   The company, which was founded in 2014 by Alex Heiche, provides advances to music creators against their future royalty income

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2. Bella Figura Music buys publishing catalog of The Drums’ Jonny Pierce

   The deal encompasses Pierce’s publishing interests in songs released up to and including the band’s "Encyclopedia" album.

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3. Kobalt strikes strategic publishing deal with London-based Geo Music Group, covering funding for songwriters and admin services

   The agreement gives Geo Music’s roster access to Kobalt's royalty collection, accounting and payment infrastructure.

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4. HYBE ordered to pay former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin $17.6m in shareholder agreement lawsuit

   Judge Nam In-soo ruled that Min’s actions did not constitute a material breach to justify terminating the shareholder agreement.

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5. UMG strikes global deal with ClicknClear to license songs for gymnastics, figure skating and more

   UMG and ClicknClear estimate that over 150 million athletes join choreographed sports globally, creating “a multi-billion-dollar demand for music licensing.”

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6. Olivier Chastan’s Iconoclast in sale talks at price tag of around $500 million

   Multiple sources tell MBW that Iconoclast is in talks with approximately 10 different parties

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7. Music collectibles platform Wax Poetics closes $1m funding round

   Investors include music executives Perry Chen (Kickstarter), Nadav Poraz (WhoSampled), and Nikhil Shah (Mixcloud).

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8. SM Entertainment revenues grew 16.6% to record $219m in Q4, driven by concerts and merch

   The company is home to K-pop acts such as NCT DREAM, aespa, RIIZE, and NCT WISH.

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9. Mitchell Shymansky appointed Chief Data & Technology Officer at Create Music Group

   Shymansky joins Create following nearly two decades at Universal Music Group

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10. SoundExchange expands global neighboring rights coverage via 17 new agreements with CMOs in markets including Barbados, Denmark, Kenya, Portugal, and more

    The expansion includes new partnerships in Kenya, Barbados, Panama, Paraguay, and several European territories.

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