As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to develop, the music industry faces a dilemma between songs created by humans and those produced synthetically. Questions surrounding authorship, copyright and licensing remain at the forefront.

While many regions and countries already have regulations in place, Spain has expressed “concerns” about AI “completely replacing” human creators. Cristina Perpiñá-Robert, director general of the Spanish Society of Authors and Publishers (SGAE), voiced this concern on Tuesday (Oct. 20) during a discussion on AI-generated music and the future of creativity at Billboard Latin Music Week. She called for regulations to protect creators.

“In the U.S., we’re taking an approach in favor of technology and AI. I think it’s the same in Europe,” Perpiñá-Robert said. “The thing is, you know, creators and music creators we’re seeing in Spain, they are using AI. They’re enhancing AI (…) Our biggest concern is not so much the licensing process. It’s the fact that the content which is generated with AI is completely replacing human creators. That’s our concern”.

During the panel, moderated by MIDiA Research’s vp of music strategy, Tatiana Cirisano, and featuring Pierre Hachar Jr., managing partner of The Hachar Law Group, Perpiñá-Robert stated that Spain is concerned that regulation “is not enough,” as creators and authors are being “completely excluded” from the business model. “It’s not only how to license the model, it’s how to prevent creators from not being hired anymore because you can just resort to synthetic music,” she added.

The risk of powerful AI models bypassing human control and harming humanity has become a more pressing concern. In the U.S., President Donald Trump reportedly rejected halting AI development over fears that China could gain an advantage in the technology, according to the Associated Press.

Hachar Jr. revealed that most of his clients are already using AI. “Whether they wanna admit it or not, they’re using AI. Some of them are not, but they’re genius-level songwriters and producers and artists that don’t need to use AI, frankly”.

The executive emphasized that technology always helps foster growth, “whether we like it or not.” He noted that when streaming first emerged, people were resistant to it, but now it’s commonplace. The same happened with production tools like Pro Tools, Reason, Logic and FL Studio.

“[Many said:] ‘Oh, it’s the end of the musician!’ Well, no, it’s the start of a whole new group of people that can explore creativity, right? And that’s the way I see AI,” he said.

Billboard Latin Music Week 2026 coincides with the 2026 Billboard Latin Music Awards, which will air live on Thursday (Oct. 22) from the James L. Knight Center in Miami on Telemundo and Peacock.

SYDNEY, Australia — Concerts are still a huge drawcard in Australia, but the wider live events industry isn’t a picture of rude health.

According to newly-published data from Live Performance Australia, concert fans bought more than 13.7 million tickets last year, down 2.4% from the prior year, generating revenue of A$1.8 billion ($1.25 billion), slipping 0.9% from the all-time mark set in 2024.

The result would’ve been worse had it not been for an exceptional run of stadium shows and high-profile international tours from the likes of Lady Gaga, Oasis, AC/DC, Luke Combs, Drake, Tyler The Creator, Billie Eilish, Metallica and Kendrick Lamar.

The business for contemporary music concerts was, by some distance, the leader in both share of revenue (53.5%) and attendance (44.8%) last year. The average ticket price for contemporary concerts lifted by 2.0% year-on-year to A$138.15 ($96) in 2025, which partially offset the decline in revenue.

Despite a string of high-profile brands collapsing or pressing pause, Australia’s network of contemporary music festivals shifted 2.1 million tickets in 2025, by 4.9% from the previous year, and reported total revenue at a tick under A$400 million ($280 million), up by 20.7% year-on-year.

Together, the business of concerts and festivals was the strong suit for Australia’s live performance industry, accounting for more than 65% of total revenue and upwards of 51% of total attendance.

“These results were attributable to a strong array of major international tours and festival line ups, attracting higher average ticket prices,” explains the report’s editors.

Overall, the live performance industry was down slightly to A$3.4 billion ($2.37 billion) in ticket revenue. Ticketed attendance dipped by 2.4% to 30.7 million, as seven of the 12 categories posted year-on-year erosion, as promoters grappled with challenging business conditions, while punters counted their dollars, resulting in changing ticket-buying behavior.

During the reporting period, average ticket prices lifted by 14.1% per cent to A$206.17 ($144), which contributed to the growth in revenue and reflected increased costs for organizers, reads a statement from LPA.

“While this is the highest-ever recorded for the industry, it only partially offset rising costs experienced across the economy, given that Australia’s headline inflation rate in 2025 was 3.8%,” reads the LPA’s 2025 Live Performance Attendance and Revenue Report.

Still, the headline results are the second-highest results since the annual report was first published in 2004.

“Australians love their live performance experiences but are under more intense cost-of-living pressures and being more selective in their ticket buying choices which led to a softening in overall demand in 2025,” Live Performance Australia CEO Eric Lassen remarks.

“At the same time, our producers and presenters are grappling with rising costs of production and touring which is reducing operating margins and increasing financial risk, particularly in the theatrical sector.”

The largest, and most worrying decline was seen in Musical Theatre, which diminished by more than 16% for both revenue and attendance during the reporting period. With revenue of A$442.3 million ($309 million), Musical Theatre is the second biggest category behind Contemporary Concerts.

Lassen, who succeeded longtime former LPA CEO Evelyn Richardson in January 2025, adds: “There will always be some variability in the overall revenue and attendance figures depending on touring and production cycles, particularly for big international acts, but we also need to address the longer-term structural challenges for the industry if it’s to have a sustainable future.”

Download the LPA’s latest Ticket Attendance and Revenue Report here.

SYDNEY, Australia — APRA AMCOS Group has posted all-time-high revenue of A$857.4 million ($599 million), up 8.8% from the previous financial year thanks to strong digital, international and public performance licensing.

At the same time, group net distributable revenue (NDR) ballooned to A$755.7 million ($528 million), up 10.6% year-on-year.

As APRA celebrates its 100^th anniversary, the PRO’s international revenue lifts to a record-high of A$103.2 million ($72 million) — crossing the $100 million milestone for the first time — powered by strong touring from the likes of Ninajirachi, and screen growth globally, led by animated kids show Bluey, reads a statement.

The engine room for APRA AMCOS is the “Digital” category, which represents more than 53% overall share, and up 12.5% from the same period last time, while OneMusic’s public performance revenue lifted 10.9% on strong gains from concerts and events, fitness and restaurants.

“Audiences continue to spend their entertainment dollars on large-scale, high-priced events like AC/DC, Ed Sheeran and Oasis,” reads a statement, “leading to softer sales and greater price sensitivity for mid-tier tours and smaller festivals.”

Published this week, it’s “another year of strong results for our members, with more money out the door to them than ever before,” explains Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS.

Broken down, APRA generated A$557.2 million ($389 million) in revenue for the year, up 6.9%, while AMCOS posted A$300.2 million ($209 million), up 12.6%. Group expense-to-revenue ratio was 11.86%, down from 13.26%.

If there’s one clanger in APRA AMCOS’ 2026 Year In Review, for the period July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, it’s raw proof that Australians and New Zealanders are tuning out of homegrown music. More than 91% of the music Australians streamed in FY26 was imported. It’s a worse situation across ditch, as 96% of music consumed in NZ was created by internationals.

“If the current trend continues, Australian members’ share of streaming is on track to fall to close to 5% within the next five years,” adds Ormston. “It’s a devastating statistic.”

APRA AMCOS serves more than 135,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. Despite the strong overall picture, Ormston assures the organization is focused on the challenges that lie ahead.

“We continue to work closely with governments, platforms and international partners to ensure members are askedpermission and receive payment when their works are used to train or generate AI content,” he explains.

In June, APRA AMCOS took that message to the CISAC General Assembly in Paris, where the Australasian body and its international partners set out the Paris Commitment to protect, recognize and fairly remunerate human creators. Then, its leadership assembled in the nation’s capital, Canberra, to call on the Australian Government to hold firm on the Copyright Act, in the face of lobbying from big tech for a TDM. “ We will continue making that case, clearly and consistently, for as long as it takes.”

And as AI technology advances, he adds, “so too does the need to defend the simple principle at the heart of copyright: creators must retain the right to control the use of their work and be paid when that work is used. Our position remains clear and simple: permission and payment.”

Read APRA AMCOS’ 2026 Year In Review here.

Romain Vivien‘s remit as global head of music at Believe has expanded, the company announced Monday (Oct. 19). Vivien will continue overseeing Believe’s global recorded music activities while now directly leading the company’s three major regions: EMEA, Americas and APAC. He will also drive strategic partnerships.

The news follows last week’s announcements that Believe hired Adriana Sein as president of Americas at Believe and upped Viktoria Siniavskaia to president of EMEA, a newly established region that encompasses Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Also reporting to Vivien will be Sylvain Delange, who will continue serving as president of APAC.

Vivien’s promotion is being positioned as part of Believe’s five-year strategic plan “From Access to Success” — an effort to change the company “into a full-service, technology-empowered One Global Artist Development Company focused on artist success,” according to a press release. He will be supported by Bahamonde Bourgain, president of Believe artist services and label & artist solutions, and Brian Miller, chief business officer at TuneCore.

Vivien, who previously served as CEO of Believe France, was named global head of music and president for Europe in 2024. During his nearly 30 years of experience in the industry, he has held positions at Virgin and EMI. He currently serves as vp of the indie trade body UPFI and a board member at labels association SPPF. He was named to Billboard‘s Power 100, Indie Power Players and Global Power Players lists this year.

“Our mission remains unchanged: to transform Believe into a full-service global artist development company obsessed with artist success,” said Vivien in a statement. “By evolving our regional organization around three major geographic pillars, we are creating clearer accountability, accelerating decision-making closer to local markets, and fostering stronger execution across our global footprint. Adriana, Viktoria and Sylvain are fantastic and unique leaders with very strong proven track records, and I have no doubt they will be instrumental in driving even greater success in their region in the years to come.”

Added Denis Ladegaillerie, founder & CEO of Believe: “Over the past two decades, Romain has been instrumental in shaping our global music vision and growing Believe into a leading force in digital music and artist development. As Believe enters its next phase of growth, I am immensely proud that we can rely on leaders like him, Viktoria and Sylvain who have grown with us, take on even greater responsibilities or whose continued leadership and commitment is unwavering, alongside exceptional new talent like Adriana, bringing fresh perspectives to our teams. This strengthened regional organization brings us closer to our local artists, songwriters, labels and publishers around the world, while uniting us more closely than ever as one global organization.”

Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment says a music rights holder should face financial penalties for continuing to assert “tangled and conflicting” copyright claims over the Renaissance track “Alien Superstar.”

Parkwood, Beyoncé’s label and management company, asked a judge on Thursday (Oct. 15) to permanently dismiss legal claims over the intro to “Alien Superstar,” which peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022. The intro is a sample of John Holiday’s 1998 track “Moonraker”: “Please do not be alarmed, remain calm/ Do not attempt to leave the dancefloor/ The DJ booth is conducting a troubleshoot of the entire system.”

It’s undisputed that Parkwood cleared the sample from Holiday himself, giving the artist $10,000 and a 0.5% share of the “Alien Superstar” royalties. But for more than a year, music catalog owner Shuji Hirose has been alleging in lawsuits that he’s actually the owner of “Moonraker” and therefore should have been a part of the licensing process.

The lawsuit was dismissed on a technicality in June, but Hirose refiled two months later. Parkwood now argues that Hirose has changed his story, and that the switch-up is grounds to both end the case for good and impose monetary sanctions on Hirose and his attorney, DaShawn Hayes.

According to Parkwood, Hirose’s original lawsuit stated that Holiday had sold him only half of the “Moonraker” publishing back in 1998. Parkwood says this was fatal to Hirose’s claims, since the law would have allowed a partial copyright owner like Holiday to license out the composition even without his co-owner’s participation. However, the new iteration of the lawsuit now says Hirose bought 100% of the copyright from Holiday.

“These new allegations cannot be squared with Mr. Hirose’s prior sworn statements,” wrote Parkwood’s attorneys in Thursday’s court papers. “It is axiomatic that knowingly or recklessly filing false allegations or meritless claims is bad faith, and warrants terminating and monetary sanctions.”

“Even generously assuming that Mr. Hirose and Mr. Hayes somehow did not know that the Hirose II complaint was frivolous, sanctions are still appropriate,” added Parkwood’s lawyers, a team from the elite firm Latham & Watkins. “In light of Mr. Hirose and Mr. Hayes’ admissions that Mr. Holiday retains co-ownership and licensing rights in ‘Moonraker,’ Plaintiffs’ claims — premised on directly contrary allegations — are objectively baseless.”

Hayes did not return a request for comment regarding Parkwood’s arguments on Monday (Oct. 19). He’ll likely respond to the motions in writing before a hearing scheduled for February.

The lawsuit levels copyright infringement claims against Parkwood, as well as against Sony Music, Warner Chappell Music and Beyoncé herself. Hirose is also suing Holiday for breach of contract.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been transferred from a low-security prison in New Jersey to a similar federal facility in Pennsylvania, Billboard can confirm.

A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons told Billboard that Combs was moved on Friday (Oct. 16) from FCI Fort Dix to FCI Allenwood’s low-security section. “For privacy, safety and security reasons, we do not discuss the conditions of confinement for any individual in our custody, including reasons for transfer,” said the prison rep.

The Fort Dix prison in New Jersey and Allenwood facility in Pennsylvania are the same level of low-security institution. Combs’ rep did not immediately return a request for comment on Friday.

Combs had been incarcerated at Fort Dix since October 2025, shortly after he was sentenced to four years in prison for arranging interstate prostitution events dubbed “freak-offs.” He spent a year before that at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, and this time will be credited toward his overall sentence.

The former music mogul has reportedly been involved in several fights since arriving at Fort Dix and landed in solitary confinement more than once. In September, a bombshell NBC News investigation reported he had been living a “pampered” life at Fort Dix featuring contraband smartphones, Chinese-style massages and Hennessy cognac.

Combs is currently set to be released in March 2028, though the Bureau of Prison’s release schedule is a moving target. He’s also asking an appeals court to shorten the prison term for violations of federal prostitution laws, arguing that his sentencing judge unfairly disregarded a jury’s decision to acquit him of more serious racketeering and sex-trafficking charges.

SXSW London has confirmed its conference dates and unveiled the theme for 2027’s event.

Next year’s edition will take place between May 24-29 in Shoreditch, east London for the third consecutive year. SXSW London first arrived in the English capital in 2025, with its second edition taking place in June 2026. Super early bird passes are on sale from Friday (Oct. 16) and half price until Dec. 1.

SXSW London’s theme for 2027 has been billed as ‘The Power of Human Potential’ with 14 tracks across the programming track. These include returns for ‘AI & Experience’, ‘Frontier Technologies’, ‘Health & Longevity’ and ‘Society Rewired’, as well as new tracks such as ‘Future Earth’ and ‘Sports’.

Billboard has hosted THE STAGE at the London event, a continuation of its existing presence at SXSW in Austin, TX. In 2025, afrobeats star Tems headlined the event, followed by DJ AG in 2026.

At 2026’s edition, SXSW London reports that over 20,000 festivalgoers attended the event, alongside 863 speakers and 256 artists.

Previous speakers include Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Demis Hassabis, Michelle Obama, Esther Perel, the Russo brothers, Idris Elba and the late Dr. Jane Goodall.

Conference and screen submissions are open via SXSW London’s official website; conference submissions close on Nov. 12, with screen submissions closing on Jan. 31, 2027.

Katy Arnander, chief programming officer at SXSW London, said: “The 2027 theme, ‘The Power of Human Potential’, is as much a call to action as it is a programming theme. SXSW London is the global festival for the convergence of business, tech, creativity and culture. The conversations on our stages, at our parties and in our networking sessions shape what happens in the year ahead.”

She added, “In our third year, we look forward to once again welcoming artists, inventors, leaders, founders and policymakers to lead conversations, make connections, and bring curiosity and practical optimism to the future of their industries and our collective society.”

Billboard’s parent company PMC is the largest shareholder of SXSW and its brands are official media partners of SXSW.

Ben Katovsky, who previously ran the Blackstone-backed music catalog investment firm Recognition Music Group, was appointed CEO of the advance financing platform Pipeline on Thursday (Oct. 15).

Founded and chaired by veteran music investor and former Francisco Partners private equity executive Matt Spetzler, Pipeline launched with $200 million in lending capital to independent music companies for artist finances, using the label’s digital royalties as the collateral. As more artists sign short-term distribution deals, which allow them to retain ownership and often the majority of the income their music generates, having enough cash on hand to keep rising stars is a persistent problem for indie companies.

Pipeline inked a partnership with Merlin and acquired the tech-forward music valuation firm Clarty Partners earlier this year. Now, fresh off the sale of Recognition’s portfolio of 45,000 songs, which included compositions by Neil Young, Shakira, Journey  and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Katovsky teams up with Spetzler to bring the pair’s music rights, investment and business-building experience to Pipeline’s partners.

“We started Pipeline because there is enormous value in music IP, and too many of the companies that own it haven’t had the backing to realize their ambitions,” Spetzler said in a statement. “Ben is one of very few people who has built, financed and run a world-class rights business at scale, delivering very strong outcomes for investors while caring for the music and the people behind it.”

During Katovsky’s time leading Recognition, it completed a $372 million asset-backed security issuance prior to the sale of its catalog to Sony Music Publishing in July. Before Recognition, Katovsky spent seven years at BMG, where he rose to the role of COO. Originally from South Africa, Katovsky got his start at Counterpoint Systems, developing technology solutions for managing intellectual property.

“I’ve spent my career at the intersection of music, technology and investment, working with some of the most innovative companies in our business,” Katovsky added in a statement. “Pipeline is building a different model for how companies and creators can access capital, giving songwriters, artists, labels and publishers greater flexibility and control over how they grow. Matt and the team have built something impressive and I’m excited to be joining them to empower the music and wider creative industries.”

YouTube Music is introducing labels for AI music on the platform, the streamer announced on Wednesday (Oct. 14).

The new labels will be applied to songs that were “created primarily using generative AI,” according to a YouTube Music blog post. That “includes using a generative model to create the composition and vocals.” The labels will also apply to music content on the main YouTube app.

On YouTube Music, the AI labels will show up directly on the player page while listening to a song in which “AI played a significant role,” the blog post states. When a user taps the label, a menu opens up sharing more information.

The blog post states that YouTube Music is “teaming up with music partners” and utilizing its own detection tools to identify tracks that are AI-generated, while “applying the same labeling principles already used across YouTube.” In 2024, YouTube unveiled a tool that would require creators to disclose when “realistic content — content a viewer could easily mistake for a real person, place, scene, or event — is made with altered or synthetic media, including generative AI.”

According to YouTube’s previously published disclosure guidelines around AI content, its “Made with AI” label indicates that a video contains content “that has been meaningfully altered or synthetically generated with Gen AI tools” — a requirement that now extends to YouTube Music. The guidelines add that the “Made with AI” label is applied to content that creators manually disclose in the YouTube Studio workflow; content that uses YouTube’s generative AI tools; and content that contains “valid Content Credentials data indicating the entire video is made with AI.” If creators don’t disclose their use of AI, YouTube has the ability to apply the “Made with AI” label to content on its own.

The use of AI labels at streamers has been growing over the last several months. In August, Spotify announced that it would be introducing a label for AI-generated artists, music from which will not be included in personalized recommendations on the service. Also in August, Apple Music said it was working on introducing AI labels on the platform for music that content providers disclosed was “materially generated using AI”; as Apple Music head Oliver Schusser previously told Billboard, the company uses a detector internally to monitor AI content. In July, a coalition of companies representing the recorded music industry, including the IFPI, RIAA and A2IM, also proposed the widespread creation of AI labels for music on streaming services.

A construction manager’s $140,000 trial verdict against Ye (formerly Kanye West) has now been multiplied by two.

A jury awarded the verdict in March after finding Ye responsible for on-the-job injuries suffered by Tony Saxon while he was renovating the rapper’s Malibu mansion back in 2021. Judge Brock T. Hammond tacked on another $181,000 for legal fees and costs in a Tuesday (Oct. 13) order, obtained by Billboard, bringing the total award to $321,000.

This amount is still significantly less than what Saxon initially asked for: $1.7 million in damages from the jury, $1.2 million in attorneys’ fees and another $300,000 in costs.

One of Saxon’s lawyers, Ron Zambrano, told Billboard on Wednesday (Oct. 14), “I respect Judge Hammond’s openness to consider my argument” for higher fees. “Though, I believe the value of what we brought to get Mr. Saxon his verdict is above where the judge ultimately landed,” added Zambrano.

Ye’s spokesperson, Milo Yiannopoulos, responded to Billboard with a statement taking aim at Zambrano’s co-counsel, Neama Rahmani: “This ruling would be a catastrophe for any contingency-based bottom feeder, but it will be especially, devastatingly, and, dare I say it, fittingly humiliating for Mr. Rahmani.”

Saxon filed suit in 2023 alleging he’d injured his back while working around the clock to fulfill Ye’s dream of gutting his beachside mansion, which had been designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando, and turning it into an open concept “bunker.”

Ye disputed Saxon’s claims, saying he was an “overpaid and underqualified” unlicensed contractor who was to blame for destroying the value of the house (Ye ultimately sold the property for $21 million, a massive loss given the $57 million purchase price). When the case went to trial, Los Angeles jurors ultimately held Ye liable for failing to pay workers’ compensation but rejected Saxon’s additional claims for wrongful termination and underpaid wages.

Meanwhile, Ye has countersued Saxon for allegedly interfering with the sale of the Malibu home by taking out an improper lien on the property and “launching an aggressive publicity campaign designed to pressure Ye, chill prospective transactions and extract payment on disputed claims.” The countersuit is still pending.

The Saxon case is just one of many civil lawsuits that have been filed against Ye by disgruntled former employees in recent years. These workers have alleged various instances of discrimination and poor working conditions at Ye’s web of companies, including the Yeezy fashion line and the now-shuttered private school Donda Academy.

Some of these cases have settled, but others are still ongoing. Two more are currently set to go to trial in February.