UNLIMITED SUPPLY with Digital Music News The pot of gold over the rainbow, A major label "clot," and we interrupt our Live Nation coverage...
Feb 20, 2026
Discussion of major labels regaining market share on streaming platforms. A look at labels cracking down on brands using music on social media. Analysis of Live Nation’s revenue and profit signals from touring and ticketing. Breakdown of Sphere Entertainment’s huge Wizard of Oz receipts. Coverage of an ethical AI music platform raising funding and an indie royalty dispute mirroring major-label dynamics.
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Majors Reclaimed Spotify Ground In 2025
- Major labels regained some Spotify market share in 2025, reversing the narrative of continual indie fragmentation.
- Lars Murray notes resource-driven attention on Spotify and majors' ability to co-opt threats through buyouts and industry leverage.
Labels Crack Down On Brands Using Music
- Major labels are increasingly enforcing rights against brands using music on social platforms, showing stronger commercial policing.
- Lars contrasts Universal's leverage with smaller entities' inability to get brands like Marriott to respond to takedown demands.
Live Nation Earnings Mask Power And Legal Noise
- Live Nation's 2025 results show modest top-line growth but a 52% rise in net attributable to prior-year legal hits that depressed 2024.
- Lars warns earnings will be used in antitrust narratives, but notes Live Nation still has resources to fight legal challenges.