Association News
Below, you’ll find the latest Association press releases, updates on our upcoming events, introductions to our newest member companies, links to the latest content from Music Biz and our partners, and more.
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April 7, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #287 — How Music Fans Can Become Music Investors: A Chat with Musicow’s Marcus Sanchez
In an age where listeners can access any track at their fingertips, finding ways for artists to connect with superfans requires a creative approach – and Musicow has delivered exactly that. Originating in Korea, with the K-pop market already known for cultivating successful fan engagement strategies, the platform allows for fans to financially invest in the music they love. In this episode, Musicow US, IP CEO Marcus Sanchez explains the logistics behind the platform and how it differs from its Korean counterpart,... Click Here To Listen
March 31, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #286 — Building a Backbone for Effective Rights Management: MusicInfra on Scalable Infrastructure
Having noticed how difficult it was to obtain catalog info during his time at Hipgnosis Songs, Björn Lindvall set out to create a solution with MusicInfra, providing a scaled infrastructure that ensures works are accurately matched to recordings. Now, in an age where AI is generating more data than ever, such infrastructure has become even more crucial for rights management. In this episode, Björn speaks on the two products that the platform offers, how he is planning for this first generation of AI deals &... Click Here To Listen
March 31, 2026 – [Keeping Tempo With Music Biz] — Why Are Artists Seemingly More Afraid of Publishing Deals Now Than Ever?: Op-Ed from Killphonic’s Caleb Shreve
When I speak on panels, I’m often asked, “What is the biggest problem you encounter in the publishing world?” The real answer is The MLC, but that’s for another op-ed. My more moderate answer is the education and understanding around music publishing, and probably the most logical answer is the title of this op-ed. This comes from a lot of misinformation, an unnecessarily complex system, and a rapidly changing industry with some very stubborn industry professionals.... Click Here To Read
March 24, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #285 — Reimagining Rights Management: How Chordal is Breaking Barriers
Music rights company Chordal has achieved a major licensing milestone, clearing 51,000 songs in the first six months of their InstantClear technology being live. In their TikTok’s commercial library integration alone, over 15% of those tracks already saw sync revenue. To achieve this success, they’ve leveraged the collaborative nature of the music industry to create a single environment where stakeholders can easily connect with one another through the songs they share rights on. In this conversation,... Click Here To Listen
March 17, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #284 — Latin’s Global Growth: A Look Behind the Scenes with Rimas Publishing & Chinelo Creative
Global artists and genres are no longer region-locked, having seen astronomical growth in recent years thanks to the age of digital connectivity. Recently, Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl appearance – combined with the rise of other Latin artists from all different regions such as Chris MJ and Groupo Frontera – have further bolstered the visibility of Latin genres. This special episode features interviews with Emilio Morales & Christopher Hernández of Bad Bunny’s publisher, Rimas Publishing, and Joaquín Fernández Esquivel of Latin marketing agency Chinelo Creative.... Click Here To Listen
March 10, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #283 — Married Life in the Music Business: Interview w/ Symphonic’s Jorge Brea & Janette Berrios + Slim Moon (New Plastic Ideas)!
In celebration of Symphonic Distribution’s 20th anniversary under the leadership of Jorge Brea & Janette Berrios, we bring you a special episode of The Future of What featuring the couple alongside our host Portia & her husband Slim Moon! The pairs discuss how they met their partners, as well as the origins of both Symphonic and Kill Rock Stars, touching on the opportunities & challenges of working in the same industry and workplace as your spouse.... Click Here To Listen
March 3, 2026 – Music Business Association to Honor CMA’s Sarah Trahern With 2026 Presidential Award
Association also announces finalists for its nine crowd-nominated awards March 3, 2025 — The Music Business Association (Music Biz) today announces that Country Music Association (CMA) CEO, Sarah Trahern will receive its 2026 Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement. The award will be presented to Trahern at the 5th annual Bizzy Awards Dinner, happening Wednesday, May 13 during Music Biz 2026 at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly. Trahern took the helm of CMA in 2014, and earlier this year announced her upcoming retirement at the end of 2026.... Click Here To Read
February 25, 2026 – [Keeping Tempo With Music Biz] — Building Genuine Artist-Fan Connection Through Video: Interview with Vevo’s Cynthia Todd
Fan engagement in the 2020s has become a double-edged sword: while the spread-out nature of digital platforms means it’s harder to reach fans than ever, it also creates more opportunities to directly connect with fans in meaningful ways. In this conversation with Cynthia Todd, Director of Talent Booking at Vevo, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of creating genuine relationships between artists & fans, how artists can evolve their sound & brand while still appealing to both new and old fans,... Click Here To Read
February 24, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #282 — Navigating a Fragmented Industry: Songtradr’s Paul Langworthy on Music Rights & Licensing
Songtradr was founded by artist & producer Paul Wiltshire as a solution for independent artists to upload their own tracks to be licensed all in one place, in response to him facing these struggles in his own career. Since then, the platform has expanded and tailored its strategy to the complexity of the music business by acquiring companies like 7digital, Big Sync, MassiveMusic and Bandcamp. In this episode, Songtradr CRO Paul Langworthy breaks down some of these industry complexities,... Click Here To Listen
February 17, 2026 – The Future of What Episode #281 — Democratizing Music Legislation Education: A Conversation with Matthew Wilson & Michelle Davis of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP
Music law is important for everyone in our industry to be familiar with, no matter your role or experience level. This episode features Matthew Wilson and Michelle Davis of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, two entertainment lawyers who champion this belief by spreading their own wealth of knowledge to others via mentoring & education programs. The two discuss their respective backgrounds and involvement in academia, Music Biz’s #NEXTGEN_U Student Summit, the parallels between current & past legal proceedings in music copyright law,... Click Here To Listen
