Music

Goldman Sachs just told the music industry to sell to fans first

• Goldman says direct sales can grow without cutting streaming.
• Nearly half of fans pay above artists’ minimum prices.
• Rodriguez argues Goldman may underestimate digital sales growth.

Music industry executives have treated direct-to-consumer sales as a possible threat to streaming, but Goldman Sachs’ latest Music in the Air report finds artists can sell directly to fans without reducing streaming activity. EVEN founder Mag Rodriguez argues that this supports making direct sales a larger part of…

Suno’s new MCP tool lets users make songs inside ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini – as its developer API gets a sign-in portal but remains in beta

• Suno MCP brings song creation into several AI assistants.
• Tracks use users’ Suno credits and are saved to their library.
• The developer API remains in beta, with access planned for selected partners.

Suno has launched a beta tool that lets people create music through AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. The tool could make Suno’s music generation easier to use within existing workflows, while its separate developer API is still being tested and is not yet broadly available.…

Spotify plans Q1 2027 launch for AI covers and remixes tool, weighing $4–$5 monthly price (report)

• Spotify is targeting a Q1 2027 launch for its AI covers and remixes tool.
• The proposed price is an extra US$4 to US$5 per month.
• Artists would choose whether to participate and receive royalties from fan remixes.

Spotify is reportedly planning to launch an AI tool for making covers and remixes in the first quarter of 2027, with a possible unveiling around the Grammy Awards on 7 February. The service would let paying subscribers rework songs by artists who choose to participate, creating a new…

In 1987, Tom Jones knew his time in the spotlight was slipping. Then, “a busting hit” saved his career

• Tom Jones’s chart fortunes had waned by the 1980s.
• “A Boy from Nowhere” reached number two in the UK in 1987.
• Jones later called his Art of Noise version of “Kiss” career-saving.

After his early success with hits such as “It’s Not Unusual” and “Green, Green Grass of Home”, Tom Jones’s chart career faded as punk, post-punk and synth-pop reshaped popular music. A 1987 comeback helped restore his profile, and Jones later described his 1988 collaboration with Art of Noise…

In the 1960s, The Who could go toe-to-toe with anyone. But Roger Daltrey always believed two bands were “beyond” them

• Daltrey called Mick Jagger rock’s leading live performer.
• He said the Stones’ sound could be patchy, but entertaining.
• The headline names James Brown and Little Richard as beyond The Who.

Roger Daltrey praised Mick Jagger as rock’s leading live performer, while saying The Rolling Stones’ musicianship could be uneven. His comments put the debate about the era’s biggest British bands in perspective: he admired the Stones as entertainers, but believed two other performers could match Jagger on stage.…

Rod Stewart on the singer who changed his life: “Without Sam, there may not have been a Rod”

• Sam Cooke was Rod Stewart’s greatest vocal influence.
• Stewart said Cooke helped shape his career.
• Cooke died in 1964, before they could meet.

Rod Stewart has said Sam Cooke was the singer who most shaped his decision to become a vocalist, calling him “my one and only influence”. Stewart’s tribute highlights Cooke’s lasting effect on later musicians and the missed chance for the two singers to meet or work together. In…

Jamie Dornan Boards ‘Nostalgie,’ Starring Aidan Gillen as Washed-up Pop Star, as Executive Producer (Exclusive)

• Jamie Dornan is executive producing the short film *Nostalgie*.
• Aidan Gillen plays a washed-up pop star in Belfast.
• The IFTA-winning film is eligible for Oscar consideration.

Jamie Dornan has joined Kathryn Ferguson’s short film *Nostalgie* as an executive producer, supporting a Northern Irish production as it enters awards season. The film has qualified for Oscar consideration and could compete for the best live action short film award; Dornan said he wanted to champion filmmaking…

Dominic Fike, Mariah Carey & Queens of the Stone Age: New Music Friday Guide

• Dominic Fike’s new album favours lo-fi and acoustic sounds.
• Mariah Carey revisits Glitter with a deluxe edition.
• Queens of the Stone Age return with a more restrained ninth album.

Dominic Fike’s first album since his recent breakthrough as a pop hitmaker is among this week’s highlighted releases. How to Quit Smoking leans towards gentle, lo-fi and acoustic sounds, with hip-hop touches and unexpected contributions from Danny Brown and Tay-K. Other picks include Gracie Abrams’ new single, a…

Albanian parliament erupts as Rivian’s R2 takes the lead

Smoke flares halted a parliamentary vote in Albania, while US Senate candidate Mary Peltola dismissed a report as a “distraction”. Rivian says its R2 outsold its other models in the third quarter.