BandLab Technologies has acquired AI-powered digital audio workstation Aiode, adding to its suite of products which includes BandLab, Cakewalk, ReverbNation and Airbit.

Aiode is a digital music-making product that allows music creators to write and produce songs by using audio-to-audio models, meaning a user can upload a half-finished track they’ve made, for example, and Aiode’s AI-powered virtual musicians can help finish out the song idea stem-by-stem. It also allows musicians to regenerate specific portions of songs to help take their ideas in a new direction, to quickly find new samples and to work alongside models based on real musicians, who have collaborated with Aiode, to create with their artistic flair.

Developed alongside session musicians and producers, the product has only been trained on licensed pre-existing music as well as audio created by professional musicians in-house. The models within Aiode’s platform are also proprietary and all of its licensed training data is traceable to its source.

Aiode adds to BandLab Technologies’ suite of options for a growing class of do-it-yourself music creators, including BandLab, which is a social music creation platform, and Cakewalk, its suite of desktop music tools. Based in Singapore, BandLab Technologies is a division of Caldecott Music Group, which also owns NME Networks and Vista Musical Instruments.

This deal is part of a growing trend in AI music acquisitions in the last year. In 2025, AI music company Suno acquired WavTool, a browser-based digital audio workstation, and Epidemic Sound purchased Song Sleuth, an AI recognition startup. In January, Beatstars acquired AI music tool Lemonaide, and Splice bought Kits AI. Then, in February, Google acquired AI music startup ProducerAI, which is now available as part of Google Labs’ offerings, which also includes its music model Lyria 3.

“Aiode shares BandLab Technologies’ ethos of innovation and giving music makers every opportunity to find success,” says Idan Dobrecki, CEO and co-founder of Aiode. “Since Aiode was founded in 2022, we’ve worked side by side with professional musicians to create technology that respects their artistry and keeps them involved in how their musical identity is represented. BandLab Technologies gives us the opportunity to bring that approach to more creators,”

“For Aiode, joining a group that understands both accessible creation and professional production is a rare fit,” says Blue Dobrecky, COO and co-founder of Aiode. “BandLab Technologies’ breadth of experience gives us a much broader foundation for where Aiode can go as the ways people make music continue to evolve.”

Lily Allen has rethought the routing for her upcoming tour in support of her acclaimed West End Girl album. After playing a series of North American theaters in the spring, Allen had announced a run of arenas in the fall. But this week, she’s downsized a majority of the shows to arenas and amphitheaters, as well as canceling her planned stop in Montreal.

In an Instagram post announcing the change on Monday (July 13), Allen wrote, “I am so beyond excited to bring West End Girl back across the pond this September!! It has been so surreal playing this album to such epic crowds this summer.. Thank you for singing every word with me.”

She added, “We have a few updates since we first announced this leg of the tour earlier in the year. I am SO excited to say we are now coming to Seattle, tickets on sale July 24, 10AM local.” Allen also noted that shows in Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver have been adjusted down, informing fans that if they have tickets for those shows they will automatically be refunded in the next 5-7 working days and enrolled into a presale that will go live at 10 a.m. local time on July 22; a general onsale will follow on July 24 at 10 a.m. local.

Allen also apologized to her fans in Montreal, saying, “I am so sad to say we tried our hardest but will not be able to make it to you this time. NY, Boston, Toronto, Detroit, Minneapolis, Red Rocks – you are staying as is. Tickets on sale now :))” The singer did not give any reason for the downscaling of the tour, which played theaters and concert halls across the U.K., Europe and the U.S. earlier this year, bumping up to arenas in the U.K. during a recent run; at press time a spokesperson for Allen had not returned a request for additional comment on the tour date shuffle.

The fall North American tour is now slated to kick off on Sept. 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York, followed by a Sept. 4 stop at MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston. After shows in Philadelphia at the TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann (originally at 21,000-capacity Xfinity Mobile Arena), Toronto, Detroit, Chicago (now at the 3,500-capacity Chicago Theatre vs. the 23,500-capacity United Center), Minneapolis, Morrison, Colo., Los Angeles (5,900-capacity Greek Theatre vs. the 18,000-capacity Kia Forum), Oakland (3,000-capacity Paramount Theatre vs. 21,500-capacity Chase Center in San Francisco) and Seattle, the outing is slated to wrap up on Sept. 28 at the Orpheum in Vancouver.

Allen has been eschewing her back catalog on the tour in favor of playing the new 2025 album in chronological order. She recently defended her artistic choice after someone who attended one of her shows at the O2 Arena in London complained about length of the show, the lack of an opening act and Allen not addressing the audience.

“The show has always been advertised as ‘Lily Allen performs West End Girl,’” Allen wrote. “I was a few mins late as my tights were laddered and i had to change them,” she continued. “The show is just over an hour as it’s just the album in its entirety. It’s my artistic choice not to talk to the audience, the fourth wall helps with the storytelling. Most people find it to be effective. “I don’t want anyone to feel ripped off. Everyone on this tour is really working very hard to give people the best show we possibly can, and i’m extremely proud of it.”

Check out the revised fall 2026 North American tour dates below.

Queens of the Stone Age is back with new music, and the announcement of an extended tour that will see the rockers finish the year touring the lands down under.

But first, the arrival of QOTSA’s new single “Easy Street” (via Matador Records / Remote Control Records), the band’s first new song since 2023 studio album In Times New Roman. 

Featuring vocals from Nikki Lane, the mid-tempo “Easy Street’ is accompanied by a weird and wonderful music video directed by Tony Wolski and Christopher Gruse, based on a story and idea by frontman Josh Homme.

“It’s kind of a funny song,” remarks Homme, who produced it with Michael Shuman. “It’s like hitting your funny bone, where it’s funny because it hurts and it hurts because it’s funny. You’re serious, but it’s funny,” he continues. “We made it the way you’d make a demo. No click track, mistakes left in. It speeds up, it slows down, the claps aren’t great, but they’re not bad, and a bad clap adds this human thing you can’t fake.” 

He continues, “It’s not just about silliness. It’s about understanding the imperfection of your life. The song, like your life, is in the mistakes. Its imperfections are unbeatable.”

With new music comes additional tour dates. As the new Australasian itinerary currently stands, Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen, Michael Shuman, Dean Fertita and Jon Theodore will embark on a seven-city visit of capital cities and at least two regional centers.

On that route, the band will play a mix of outdoor and arena shows, starting Dec. 8 at Adelaide’s The Drive. The QOTSA show will then hit the road for arena concerts in Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, and wrap up Dec. 20 at Auckland’s Spark Arena.

Australian and New Zealand fans will be the first to experience a brand-new show following QOTSA’s current European tour with System of a Down and scheduled U.S. dates with Foo Fighters, plus a headline show in Iceland set for October, according to Live Nation, which is production the run of Australia and New Zealand.

Special guests on the ANZ tour are ‘90s alternative rockers Primus and homegrown experimental art-punk quartet Tropical F*ck Storm.

The general on sale begins Monday, July 20 at 11am. For complete tour and ticket information, visit livenation.com.au and livenation.co.nz.

Queens Of The Stone Age Tour of Australia And New Zealand 2026:

Dec. 8 — The Drive, Adelaide
Dec. 11 — MyState Bank Arena, Hobart
Dec. 13 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Dec. 15 — Afterpay Arena, Sydney
Dec. 16 — Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Dec. 18 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Dec. 20 — Spark Arena, Auckland

With special guests Primus and Tropical F*ck Storm
Presented by Double J

SYDNEY, Australia — A nervous music community was put at ease Wednesday, July 15 when prime minister Anthony Albanese removed any doubt that creatives would maintain control, and the value, for their work in the age of artificial intelligence.

During an address on AI at the University of Sydney, the nation’s leader gave the strongest of assurances that tech companies would not have the right to copyright-protected content, including music, to train AI “without the artist’s control.”

“Australian writers, musicians, artists and journalists must retain ownership and control of their work,” he remarked. “Our laws will spell that out plain as day. An artist’s creative endeavor is their work and their property.”

No company “should use Australian books, music, art or news to build or train AI without the artist’s control, and that includes the artist’s control of the price and value of their work,” he said.

Australia, Albanese suggests, has the opportunity to take the lead on this hot button topic.

“Nowhere do artists or rights holders have sufficient control of their work when it comes to AI training,” he added. “And that is why the best way to secure the strongest copyright protections for Australian artists is for Australia to be active and involved.”

Also during his speech, titled “AI in Australia’s interests,” the PM unveiled a new Office of AI which, with effect from today, would design the new Australian standards — essentially a functioning licensing framework built on consent and payment.

With those words, the domestic music industry, which has lobbied tirelessly on the protection of copyrights, breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“The prime minister could not have been clearer: Australian writers and musicians keep ownership and control of their work. Artists control what that work is worth, not the government and not a technology company,” remarks ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd.

“Control of price, value and terms of use are what underpin a commercial licensing market,” Herd adds. “The artist decides what their work is worth and who may use it. That is how licensing works everywhere else in the world and it is how it should work here. In the prime minister’s words: anything less is theft.”

The message to AI businesses “is clear,” she continued. “Now is the time to get on with licensing. Right now deals are being signed across music, journalism and publishing around the world. Australia’s creative industries are ready do business.”

Rights organization APRA AMCOS echoed those comments, and applauded Albanese for his “clear and unequivocal support for Australia’s artists, creators and copyright holders.” 

“The prime minister has made it clear,” says APRA AMCOS CEO Dean Ormston. “The future of AI development in Australia must respect creator rights, that permission and payment must be sought, and crucially, the creative economy must benefit from AI innovation and development in Australia.”

APRA AMCOS has put a price on what a copyright carve-out would mean to the music space. The PRO’s landmark AI and Music Report found that, without a mandatory licensing framework, Australian and New Zealand songwriters and composers face a 23 per cent hit to their revenues. The bottom line: Australian and New Zealand creators would miss out on more than A$500 million ($350 million) over just four years. 

Albanese’s comments on AI and copyright follow the Attorney General’s confirmation late last year that there would no copyright exception for AI training. Then, in December, the publication of the Productivity Commission’s final report on Harnessing data and digital technology, which concluded that it would be “premature to make changes to Australia’s copyright laws.”

Now, more than half a year on, the prime minister has given his word on the matter.

Damian Rinaldi, CEO of AMPAL, the music publishers’ association, welcomes the PM’s “unequivocal recognition that ‘an artist’s creative endeavor is their work and property’, and that Australian creators and rightsholders must retain ownership and control of their work, including its price and value.” And his declaration that “anything less is theft” sends a “powerful and unambiguous message,” Rinaldi continues. “Permission must come first.”

Maggie Collins, executive director of the Association of Artist Managers (AAM) was among the many industry leaders who made a submission to the National Cultural Policy, and was anxiously awaiting the outcome of today’s presentation.

“Australia knows its worth, and today’s speech by prime minister Albanese on the future of AI in this country made that crystal clear, when he articulated without a shadow of a doubt, that in embracing this new age,” she writes in a message to AAM’s members. “Australian writers, musicians, artists and journalists must retain ownership and control of their work.”

Read Albanese’s speech in full here.

Bryan Adams will punch on when his Roll With The Punches world tour sweeps into Australia next February and March, for what will be his second full-scale trek of these parts within two years.

The veteran Canadian rocker will play arenas in seven cities on both sides of the Tasman, with Australian pop artist Natalie Imbruglia locked in as “special guest.”

As it stands, the ANZ leg of Adams’ Roll With The Punches trek gets underway Feb. 23, 2027 at Perth’s RAC Arena, then heads to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Auckland and wraps up March 12 at Christchurch’s Wolfbrook Arena.

Frontier Touring is producing the shows, which follow Adams’ early 2025 visit for what turned out to be one of his biggest tours to-date of these parts.

The forthcoming tour is in support of Adams’ 16^th and latest studio album, Roll With The Punches, which dropped last August on the singer and songwriter’s own Bad Records label, and peaked at No. 3 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart.

Adams powered through 140 shows worldwide last year, and will play dates in the United States, Canada and Europe in the months ahead before heading down Under in the southern summer.

Tickets go on sale Monday, 20 July at 12pm local via frontiertouring.com/bryanadams.

Bryan Adams’ 2027 ‘Roll With The Punches’ Tour of Australia and New Zealand:

Feb. 23 — ​RAC Arena, Perth
Feb. 26 ​– Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney
March 1 — ​Brisbane Entertainment Centre
March 4 — ​Adelaide Entertainment Centre
March 5 ​– Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
March 10 — Spark Arena, Auckland
March 12 — ​Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch

Fanatics Fest is returning to NYC this weekend, and Audiomack unveiled the official playlist to soundtrack the festivities on Tuesday (July 14).

The 50-track playlist boasts hits like Drake’s “Shabang,” Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind,” Justin Bieber’s “Yukon,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Bed Chem,” Pop Smoke’s “Dior,” Don Toliver’s “E85” and Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero.”

“At Audiomack, we believe that discovering new artists is one of the most exciting parts of being a music fan. Fanatics Fest brings together sports, music, and entertainment in a way that feels incredibly authentic, so becoming the official streaming partner was a perfect fit. We’re excited to help soundtrack the weekend while introducing fans to the next generation of artists,” said Audiomack’s co-founder and chief marketing officer, David Ponte.

While some of music’s titans carry the playlist, Audiomack also made sure to spotlight emerging acts like Lane Gang Wells, Bashfortheworld and Iman Nunez, whose track “Rotten Apple” features fellow New York natives Niko Brim and Kai Ca$h.

“‘Rotten Apple’ is New York personified. It’s about the grit, resilience, and mentality that defines this city. Having to do whatever it takes to push through obstacles and keep moving forward,” Nunez said in a statement. “That same mindset is what makes great athletes, so having the record featured on this year’s playlist feels like the perfect fit. We’re excited for it to help set the tone.”

Sports and music have been synonymous for decades, and those worlds will clash once again at Fanatics Fest, which takes over the Javits Center in NYC from July 16 through July 19. Adult single-day tickets are still available for $81, while Saturday (July 18) is priced at $93. Kids’ tickets are on sale for $35. There are various family deal packages as well.

The stars will be out at the four-day event, with appearances scheduled for Jay-Z, Serena Williams, Kevin Hart, Aaron Judge, New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Travis Scott and WWE superstar Roman Reigns.

Listen to the full Fanatics Fest playlist here.

Not even two years have passed since the September 2024 release of Suki Waterhouse‘s Memoir of a Sparklemuffin album, but the singer/actress had plenty of life changes to mine for her just-released third LP, Loveland.

“My last record, I finished it like the week before I had my daughter,” Waterhouse tells the Billboard Pop Shop Podcast about welcoming a baby girl with partner Robert Pattinson in March 2024. “And then this one, I remember I started a couple of weeks after she was born. … I never go, ‘OK, now I’m starting the new record!’ I think that would seem too frightening in a way.”

But when she dove in, she put together a wide range of dreamy pop songs for her major-label debut with Island Records, co-writing every track on the project and teaming up with some reliable pop hitmakers for the first time, including Amy Allen, Aaron Dessner, Joel Little, Dan Wilson and Emily Warren.

“What an incredible group of people that I got to work with,” she marvels about the caliber of songwriters and producers on the project. “I think I connect with people really quickly, because I’m quite unguarded once I get into that room. I kind of have that British sort of [thing], like you can never quite understand if I’m being serious or not. But it doesn’t take me long to open up and kind of be talking about the nitty-gritty … and asking people what they think. When I’m with the right person, we can very quickly kind of get that down into a song.”

Listen to Katie & Keith’s full conversation with Suki here, and find highlights from the chat below.

Being inspired by the “huge shift” of motherhood

This record has been me having this huge shift that I knew was coming. I feel like my last record was sort of tying up all of those loose ends, knowing that I’m going into having this huge shift, and then it’s kind of becoming undone and then putting myself back together again. By the end of it, I can very much hold two truths at a time. I feel wiser than ever and also sillier than ever. … I also think a lot of my insecurities and worries about the kind of person that I was going to be, or the kind of mother or partner, and how I was going to do all of that together — I’ve kind of come to this understanding within myself, and I think a lot of those insecurities have maybe lessened, and I’ve kind of found my new self in this very joyful, delicate, interesting time in my life.

Why “Back in Love” was the right lead single

“Back in Love,” it was the last song that I wrote [for the album]. … It felt like healing, and it also felt like, I felt so excited. … Sometimes I feel this kind of dread about going out on the road, and that song made me really excited to go back out on the road. I’ve never played Saturday Night Live before, but suddenly, I was seeing myself play Saturday Night Live. By the way, haven’t got the offer, but you know what I mean? It felt like that kind of song. It kind of just, it made me dream a bit bigger.

How Britpop bled into second single “Tiny Raisin”

Seeing Oasis last year was definitely quite a big thing for me. The year before that, I opened for Taylor on the Eras Tour, so I got that experience of being at Wembley, then went back there the year later, saw my favorite band in the world that I grew up with, and so I think that was definitely running through my veins. And you know, David Bowie for sure also, like that kind of spacey, psych-rock feel. … You know that [British] term “marding”? I was marding a bit on this record and kind of getting my grievances out, but in a kind of cheeky way that feels true to me as a person.

Why “Weirdo” might be her “most personal” song yet

“Weirdo,” that song is maybe the most personal and just me really speaking very bluntly into a microphone and kind of just addressing things that I feel a bit embarrassed about. … They’re the things that you’re kind of like, “Oh, I hope this doesn’t make anyone say whatever on the Internet.” I think that one’s that song. Like, you hope that the listener can kind of get you or have context for your situation a bit, and not just be like, “Oh, you sound bratty.” … I don’t care at all when I’m writing, and then when you’re about to put something out, there’s another brain [or] voice in your head. Then you’ve got to make those two voices speak to each other, because the other one’s just suddenly like, “I want to be liked! I want to be loved!” And then there was the cool version that was just like, “I don’t give a f—, I’m gonna say it!”

What to expect from the Loveland Tour, starting July 22

It’s kabuki kind of, more of like a kind of theater show. … I’m in venues I’ve never been in before. I get to play Radio City for the first time. I never thought that would happen — like, that’s crazy, big bucket-list moments, and a whole new record to play. … I also hate it when I go to anyone’s show and they’re only playing all the new songs, so it is very much a balance.

What she learned from opening for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour

I learned, for example, from Taylor how special she makes people feel. I just always remember walking in and there’s a handwritten note and how happy everyone was to be on that tour, every single person that’s working on it. So yeah, really making sure that everyone’s taken care of and making sure that people know how appreciated they are, because I think the energy backstage and the way that everyone’s treated is so important. So yeah, running like top down, having really like great vibes, and making sure that everyone’s happy.

___________________________

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Madonna gets her 10th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and her first of the 2020s decade, as CONFESSIONS II debuts atop the tally. Plus, Ella Langley continues her stranglehold on No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart with “Choosin’ Texas.”

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)