U.S. Recorded Music Revenue Scores All-Time High of $15.9 Billion in 2022, Per RIAA Report

Simu Liu spoke to InStyle about his newest book-to-screen adaptation, “One True Loves,” in which he co-stars with Phillipa Soo. The film casts two Asian actors in leading parts that were originally written for non-Asian characters in the book. In the conversation, he also discusses love, soul mates, and finding “the one.”

Coolio’s cause of death has been ruled as an accidental overdose of fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.The newly publicised case notes say the late rapper (whose real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr.) suffered from an unspecified cardiomyopathy condition (cardiomyopathy being defined as chronic disease of the heart muscle) as well as asthma, however neither were said to have directly influenced his death. Recent use of phencyclidine (PCP) was also cited as one of Ivey’s “other significant conditions”.Ivey died on September 28, 2022 at the age of 59.

Michael K. Williams with fentanyl-laced heroin, which resulted in the actor’s death in 2021.Irvin Cartagena, also known as Green Eyes, sold the drug “in broad daylight in New York City, feeding addiction and causing tragedy”, lawyer Damien Williams told a Manhattan federal courtroom (via BBC News).The Wire star, who famously played the the role of Omar Little, was found dead at his Brooklyn penthouse apartment at the age of 54 after an overdose.“On or about September 5, 2021, members of the drug trafficking organisation sold Michael K Williams heroin, which was laced with fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue, with Cartagena executing the hand-to-hand transaction,” legal documents stated.Despite knowing that the product led to Williams’ death, Cartagena and his co-conspirators “continued to sell fentanyl-laced heroin in broad daylight amidst residential apartment buildings in Brooklyn and Manhattan”, the court was told.Cartagena, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess, with intent to distribute fentanyl analogue, fentanyl, and heroin.

Manchester United's takeover continues to progress as we enter into the Easter weekend.

Genevieve Padalecki is opening up how she believes her breast implants affected her health. The 42-year-old actress, who's married to alum Jared Padalecki, appeared on Kimberly Van Der Beek and Peggy Rometo's podcast and discussed what prompted her to get, and then remove, breast implants.Padalecki, who is mom to Odette, 6, Austin, 9, and Thomas, 11, noted that, after she turned 40, she «had this shift» in her body.«On one hand, you don't care what anyone thinks, but you're like, 'I miss what I used to look like a bit.' I wanted to just build upon my appearance and just feel good, and I got consults to get breast implants,» she explained, adding that she had «many, many consults» before eventually deciding, «I want to look good for me. I want to experience what that feels like and what that looks like.»That's a decision she made despite one doctor warning against it, and did so «aware of the pros and the cons.»«I went back and forth, and then finally decided I wanted to do it,» she said.

Matt Damon explain the wild coincidence between his anniversary and how it's insanely connected to the GOAT, Michael Jordan.During his Thursday appearance on, Damon had a couple of very good reasons to celebrate. For starters, April 5 is the anniversary of when he met his wife, Luciana, meaning his appearance coincided with the 20-year anniversary of meeting his wife.That's not all.Also on Thursday night, Damon was celebrating the big premiere of , the biopic about Nike's groundbreaking collaboration with the NBA legend. And how does all relate to Damon's anniversary? Well, let him connect the dots and be prepared to be blown away.«The movie  is opening today and we realized that Michael Jordan wore two numbers in his career — 45 and 23,» Damon explained.

Helen George delighted fans by sharing some adorable photos of a recent trip with her family and friends. Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, 5 April, the Call the Midwife star shared some beautiful snaps of her enjoying a 24-hour trip with members of her family and friends. Captioning the post, she said: "Finding the sun.

Coronation Street's Glenda Shuttleworth (played by Jodie Prenger) will be reunited with her old cruise ship co-star and friend Estelle (Ruthie Henshall) in upcoming scenes. However, official spoilers reveal that the barmaid could be set for an exit from Weatherfield as she takes on a new adventure, all thanks to the help of her brother George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley). In upcoming scenes, Estelle tells Glenda that the Weatherfield franchise Little Big Shotz is up for grabs and she can have it for a cheaper price of £5,000.

All good things must come to an end. The Resident has been canceled at Fox after six seasons.  

The first “Clone High” teaser trailer for the anticipated resurrection of the adult-animated MTV sitcom from the 2000s has finally been released by HBO Max. According to the schedule, the show will return this spring.

of Newsmax’s lineup — the first press secretary during the Donald Trump administration has left Newsmax, pledging to be “a force for good in this country.” According to Mediaite, Spicer and Newsmax could not come to terms on a new contract.“After three-plus amazing years of ‘Spicer and Company,’ I’m leaving Newsmax to embark on a new project,” Spicer said in a YouTube video, which you can watch at the top of this post. A grinning Spicer, standing in front of a skyline backdrop featuring the U.S.

Looks like Prince Louis‘ invitation to his grandfather, King Charles III’s, coronation might get rescinded.

Pushing through. Emily Ratajkowski gave a rare glimpse at her life ups and downs following her split from estranged husband Sebastian Bear-McClard.

“The Resident” has been canceled after six seasons at Fox, TheWrap has learned.The media drama, which was produced and is owned by 20th Television, concluded its sixth and final season in January and will not continue on for further seasons.The news follows a double digit decrease in ratings across the board as Season 6 viewership was down 69% in the key broadcast demographic among adults 18-49 and decreased 35% in multiplatform viewers when compared to the drama’s first season in 2018, according to live plus seven-day Nielsen figures. As compared to a year ago, the sixth season saw a 27% decrease in demo viewers, which averaged a 0.5 ratings score, and a 12% drop in total multiplatform viewers with average of 6.9 million viewers across platforms.Earlier this week, Fox ordered a new medical-based drama, titled “Doc,” for the 2023-24 season, which is set to be co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and FOX Entertainment Studios.

Deadline’s Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament took a hiatus during the pandemic as movie theaters closed for the majority of 2020-2021 and theatrical day-and-date titles on both the big screen and studios’ respective streaming platforms became more prevalent. Coming back from that brink, the studios have largely returned to their theatrical release models and the downstream monies they can bring. Not to mention their power in launching IPs around the world with big global marketing campaigns. When it comes to evaluating the financial performance of top movies, it isn’t about what a film grosses at the box office. The true tale is told when production budgets, P&A, talent participations and other costs collide with box office grosses, and ancillary revenues from VOD to DVD and TV. To get close to that mysterious end of the equation, Deadline is repeating our Most Valuable Blockbuster tournament for 2022, using data culled by seasoned and trusted sources.

McKinley Franklin author “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” might not spotlight characters from the original 1978 film like Didi Conn’s Frenchy or Stockard Channing’s Rizzo, but it does set the stage for their impending reign on Rydell High. Though tampering with any reiteration of the cultural cornerstone that is “Grease” has proven unsuccessful in the past, showrunner Annabel Oakes was clearly up for the challenge. So, how does one begin to cast the characters for a prequel television series based on the beloved movie? Casting directors Leigh Ann Smith and Conrad Woolfe of Indigo Casting accredit showrunner Oakes’ clear vision. “[Oakes] had lived in that world with these characters for so long,” Smith tells Variety. Adds Woolfe, “We didn’t necessarily feel pressure [casting these characters] because Oakes had done such an incredible job of expanding the universe in her imagination before we even came to the table to do the casting.”

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Motley Crue has responded to Mick Mars’ lawsuit alleging that the band is trying to force him out after 41 years, with the group’s attorneys contending that Mars already is out — having resigned, effectively, in their view, when he announced he was halting touring for good. Motley Crue’s attorneys also provided Variety with signed declarations from seven members of the touring crew that was out with the band when they toured with Mars for the last time on 36 stadium dates in 2022, alleging that his performances at the shows were under par and created problems for the entire group. “After the last tour, Mick publicly resigned from Mötley Crüe,” said Sasha Frid, the band’s litigation attorney. “Despite the fact that the band did not owe Mick anything — and with Mick owing the band millions in advances that he did not pay back — the band offered Mick a generous compensation package to honor his career with the band.  Manipulated by his manager and lawyer, Mick refused and chose to file this ugly public lawsuit.”

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Amazon Music has announced the launch of two new weekly flagship music series: the hip-hop-focused “Rotation Roundtable” and the Latin/pop culture show “La Semanal Live.” “Rotation Roundtable,” premiering March 15, comprises a hybrid Twitch livestream and 90-minute podcast experience inspired by Amazon Music’s “Rap Rotation” and “R&B Rotation” playlists. It is hosted by journalist and executive producer Speedy Morman, Power 105.1 host/ producer Nyla Symone, “On the Radar” creator Gabe P and veteran journalist Rob Markman. Each episode will feature a “Big Questions” segment meant to incite discourse about current events in hip-hop. The show will also consist of “Hot Takes,” guest interviews, and a debate segment fueled by chat participation.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Drake has announced dates for his 2023 “It’s All a Blur” tour presented by Cash App, Visa and Sprite. Produced by Live Nation, Drake and 21 Savage will be going on a 29-date arena run with stops including Chicago, Boston, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and more before wrapping up in Glendale, AZ at Desert Diamond Arena on Tuesday, September 5. “It’s All a Blur” marks Drake’s return to touring since headlining Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour in 2018. In the last five years, Drake has released four albums, including his most recent studio album, “Her Loss,” in collaboration with 21 Savage. According to the announcement, the tour’s title is “a celebration of the last decade,” signifying its retrospective nature

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Lewis Largent, who was known to millions in the 1980s and ‘90s as an influential alternative-music MTV VJ and DJ on KROQ, died on Feb. 20 after a long illness, his family confirms to Variety. He was 58. A native of Southern California, Largent was an enthusiastic golfer as a teen, and he met the general manager of the Los Angeles alternative-radio powerhouse KROQ while working at a country club. Impressed with Largent’s knowledge of music, the GM offered him an internship at the station that led to a full-time role in 1985. He rose quickly through the ranks and was named music director in 1989. In 1992, Largent left the station to take a VP of music programming post at MTV, where he soon began hosting “120 Minutes.” That show, a 1990s Sunday-night tradition on the channel, expanded the genre’s reach nationwide — and Largent’s. (This writer can recall a certain major label president striving to impress executives in a meeting with his ability to get Largent to take his call.) David Bowie, Bjork, Trent Reznor, Radiohead and PJ Harvey were among the many artists he hosted on “120 Minutes.”

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Pioneering hip-hop producer Prince Paul was never officially a member of De La Soul — but “The Magic Number” was always four whenever they worked together. As ambitious and creative as group members Posdnuous (Kelvin Mercer), Trugoy (the late Dave Jolicoeur) and Maseo (Vincent Mason Jr.) were, the man born Paul Huston was the glue that held it all together musically through many of the group’s biggest successes. “I think the way the dynamic changed because of me is I’m pro-everything,” Huston tells Variety. “If somebody’s considering an idea, I’m like, ‘Let’s do it!’” That fearless, kitchen-sink spirit led to “3 Feet High and Rising,” “De La Soul is Dead” and “Buhloone Mindstate,” three albums that caused three different generational shifts — for the group, their fans and often hip-hop culture. And those albums (and three others) were celebrated last week at “The D.A.I.S.Y. Experience” event in New York, where Huston, along with Posdnuous, Maseo, Dave Chapelle, Queen Latifah, Q-Tip, Common, Chuck D and many others, to commemorated the group’s music finally being released onto streaming platforms after decades-long legal entanglements.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Over the past couple of years, virtually every conversation about the challenges facing artists in the music-streaming economy has had one proposed quick fix: Raise subscription prices. As Milana Lewis, CEO of the distribution and payments platform Stem, told Variety last summer, “The price of everything else on earth is going up, and they all keep finding new ways to make subscriptions cheaper” via family and student plans, bundling and other initiatives. Apple Music, Amazon Music and Deezer have already done so, but others remain with the same $10 U.S. monthly price as when they started. New Warner Music CEO Robert Kyncl brings a view from the other side to the top of the music industry: He was head of business for YouTube — where he led a sea change in the streaming giant’s relationship with the music industry by, guess what, introducing a paid music subscription service — and at Netflix, where he presided over the company’s shift from DVDs to streaming.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor SoundCloud has named Eliah Seton chief executive officer, effective immediately. He succeeds Michael Weissman, who joined the streamer in 2017, has served as CEO since 2021 and is departing for a new opportunity. Seton joined SoundCloud in 2021 as president, overseeing the Creator and Roster operating divisions as well as strategy, M&A, content partnerships, business development, and distribution and artist partnerships. In that role, he has been instrumental in refocusing the business on deepening the relationship between its artists and fans through new economic models, products and tools. The company also announced that Fred Wilson, founder of Union Square Ventures and member of SoundCloud’s board since 2011, has been appointed as the new chairman of the board. Wilson succeeds SoundCloud Founder Alexander Ljung who served as CEO from 2007-2017 and chairman from 2017-2022. Ljung will assume a new role as chairman emeritus of the SoundCloud board, continue to serve as a board member and will also remain closely engaged and available to the company’s management team and employees going forward.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Today we release recorded music revenue data for 2022 showing a seventh straight year of continued growth – powered by a robust 8% increase in paid subscription streaming revenues which now make up two thirds of the market. In raw numbers, paid subscriptions hit 92 million for the first time ever, continuing a decade long run of double-digit growth. That’s practically double the 47 million paid subscribers on the books just four years ago in 2018. In the last ten years, streaming has gone from 15% to 84% of U.S. recorded music revenues, a virtual overnight transformation of our industry unmatched by any other media or art form. Other formats also saw significant growth. Streaming all together – paid subscriptions plus ad-supported services, digital and customized radio, and music used in social media platforms, digital fitness apps and others – grew 7% to a record high $13.3 billion last year, while vinyl’s incredible surge continued with revenues up 17% and, for the first time since 1987, more records sold than CDs.  (Read the full report.)

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Spotify announced Wednesday that its all-time payouts to music-rights holders are approaching $40 billion. The company said it pays out nearly 70% of every dollar it generates from music back to the industry, the announcement continues. It generates its music revenue from two sources: subscription fees from its Premium platform paying subscribers, and fees from advertisings on music on its Free tier. These rights holders include record labels, publishers, independent distributors, performance rights organizations and collecting societies, the announcement detailed. It is important to note that the payments go to rights holders first — which is rarely the artist or songwriter —which then take their fee or percentage and pay the creators their share.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor The demise of the iconic Tower Records retail chain in 2006 was in many ways the final nail in the coffin of the 20th century music business model, but as vinyl sales unexpectedly revived over the past decade, the company relaunched in 2020 as an online retailer. Since then, there have been many rumblings about of some kind of bricks-and-mortar Tower relaunch — there was a vaguely defined space on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, and rumors, stickers and posters have been seen around New York for many months. On Wednesday, it made sense: The company has unveiled Tower Labs, a new creative space in Brooklyn, New York. Located on Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, Tower Labs “is designed to engage and stimulate music fans with a range of offerings including live music events, album listening parties, and a new speakeasy style ‘vinyl drop’ window for limited edition music and merchandise releases,” according to the announcement.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor ASCAP, the only remaining not-for-profit performing rights organization in the U.S., announced that its 2022 annual revenue surpassed $1.5 billion for the first time, which fueled record royalty distributions to ASCAP’s songwriter, composer and music publisher members. Collections totaled $1.522 billion in 2022, an increase of $187 million or 14% over the previous year. According to the announcement, ASCAP’s strategic growth plan, launched in 2015, has resulted in a 6% compound annual growth rate for total revenues, and a 7% compound annual growth rate for total distributions to members.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor K-Pop is facing a “very clear slowdown in growth” that has inspired his company’s expansion efforts in the U.S., Bang Si-Hyuk, chairman of HYBE, the company behind bands including BTS and other acts, told CNN’s Richard Quest in an interview published Sunday, as HYBE seeks to expand its holdings in the South Korean music market by acquiring a large stake in competitor SM. The genre, which has boomed globally over the past five years, “is not as hot in the market as you might perceive,” Bang said. “Globally, it’s not occupying much of the market. On the other hand, Latin music and Afrobeat are very rapidly growing. So being where we are, it is more urgent to increase the exposure. … Looking at our export indicators and streaming growth, the slowdown in growth is very clear.”

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor It was billed as a celebration of “the life and legacy of the late David ‘Trugoy the Dove’ Jolicoeur and the influence and impact of De La Soul,” but of course “The D.A.I.S.Y. Experience” ended up being a lot more than that. It was a musical wake for De La co-founder Dave “Trugoy” Jolicoeur, who died less than a month ago; it was a family reunion for the people around the long-running group and their literal families; and it was a long, long overdue celebration of the release on streaming services of the group’s first six albums — most notably, their culture-shifting 1989 debut, “3 Feet High and Rising,” which changed the sound and face of hip-hop, making it psychedelic, funny, suburban, stoner and fun in ways that the art form, which previously had been almost entirely aggressive and street, had not previously been. De La’s first six albums had been caught in a legal morass for more than two decades (head here for more on that), and it’s finally over.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Disney+ will celebrate Miley Cyrus’ forthcoming eighth studio album with a special event titled “Miley Cyrus ‒ Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions).” Cyrus serves as executive producer on the music-focused special from Disney Branded Television, which will feature songs from the album. The special is set to premiere on Friday, March 10, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST on Disney+, and will feature Cyrus performing songs from “Endless Summer Vacation,” including her hit single “Flowers,” seven additional tracks from the album, one of her chart-topping classic hits and a special performance with Rufus Wainwright. The “Backyard Sessions” are a series that Cyrus began in 2012 for her fans. Viewers were quickly taken with the experience of watching the singer and her band perform in an outdoor setting, and “Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions)” serves as a continuation.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Not that anyone should define themselves by awards, but it’s telling that Colombian-American singer Kali Uchis has been nominated in three unusually far-reaching Grammy categories: R&B performance, dance recording and musica urbana abum, the latter for her sultry 2020 Spanish-language second full-length, “Sin Miedo (Del Amor Y Otros Demonios).” And in the 11 years since “Drunken Babble,” her awesomely titled first mixtape, Uchis has collaborated with Tyler, the Creator, SZA, Gorillaz, Snoop Dogg, Mac Miller, Steve Lacy, Rico Nasty, Kaytranada (their collaboration on “10%” scored her the Grammy dance win), and lots of others — but her biggest hit is her own “Telepatía,” which was the first song by a female solo artist to top Billboard’s Latin songs chart in almost a decade (and earned her the Crossover award at Variety’s 2021 Hitmakers).

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor ABBA’s ‘Voyage’ virtual concert — which opened in a specially built London arena last May and has sold more than 1 million tickets — will go on a global tour, Universal Music Group chairman Lucian Grainge confirmed during the company’s earnings call on Thursday. “Plans are now in development to take ‘ABBA Voyage’ around the world,” Grainge said on the call. Presumably, that means the show will be playing in specially modified arenas in major cities across the globe. Contacted by Variety, reps for ABBA and Universal, the group’s label, did not immediately have further information. While details are slim and the news is not a shock, it is the first official confirmation that the show — a multi-multi-million-dollar project, nearly six years in the making, that saw George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic using motion-capture technology to create “ABBA-tars” of the group as they looked in 1979 playing a 90-minute concert of their most-loved songs — will play somewhere besides the London theater. While technically not a hologram show, “Voyage” represents a new peak in that type of technology — the four bandmembers, who are now in their seventies, spent many hours performing for the motion-capture cameras to appear as lifelike as possible. It has received rave reviews nearly across the board.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Leonard Cohen’s children and heirs, Lorca and Adam Cohen, have filed a motion accusing the legendary singer-songwriter’s former manager, Robert Kory, and his legal representatives of forgery and asking the court to remove him from the role of trustee, to compel him to turn over the estate’s assets, and return the money he has earned from his activity in that role. The motion, which follows a probate petition filed last fall, cites a deposition wherein Kory’s former attorney admits to removing a page from Cohen’s signed trust after the singer’s death and replacing it with one stating that Kory is the primary trustee — a felony.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor On the morning after the BRIT Awards the night before, the U.K. music industry generally opts for a long lie-in. But 2023 BRITs chairman Damian Christian was up early – despite it being a Sunday – to receive an email from ITV bosses telling him that the show had posted “great numbers.” The telecast peaked at 3.9 million viewers, up from 2.7 million last year, with a further 1.2 million streams of the show on streaming service ITVX. The ceremony also scored its highest share (54%) of 16-34-year-old viewers in more than a decade, confirming the big move to Saturday night had paid off. “Although it was great getting the Saturday night, there was still no guarantee people were going to watch it,” Christian tells Variety in an exclusive interview. “For us to do a show for two hours, full of music and for everyone to engage with it is a massive result.”

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, Latto, Gloria Estefan and Lainey Wilson will be the featured artists for iHeartMedia and SeeHer’s third annual “iHeartRadio SeeHer Hear Her: Celebrating Women Who Make Music and Culture,” a celebration of women who make music and influence change and culture. The event will highlight successful and influential female artists in music through interviews with Latto, Wilson and Estefan (joined by her daughter Emily) and more during a live one-hour special that will stream on iHeartRadio’s YouTube and Facebook pages on March 8 at 8 p.m. ET. It will be available on demand through March 14. In addition to interviews from Gloria Estefan, Lainey Wilson and Latto, the special will also share a moment of celebration for the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and highlight emerging female talent from SeeHer’s new artist accelerator platform, Hear Her Music, in partnership with Breakr. iHeartMedia, of course, is the largest radio network in the U.S., and SeeHer is a leading organization committed to the accurate depiction of women and girls in advertising and media.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Singer-songwriter Ben Kweller’s 16-year-old son, Dorian Zev Kweller, died on Monday, the singer confirmed. Kweller’s wife Liz wrote in a social media post that Dorian died in a car accident. Dorian was an aspiring musician and released several songs under the name Zev.A post shared by Ben Kweller (@benkweller) “There’s no way that I can be typing this but I am…. Our son, Dorian Zev Kweller, was killed last night,” Ben Kweller wrote in statement posted to Instagram on Tuesday. “He was only 16 and he was a true legend. Kindest, gentle soul, a friend to all. If you knew him, you know. We’ll never get over him as long as we’re here on earth. Please keep his spirit alive with your memories and the music he made: @reallyzev.”