Big Tours and Legal Battles Define Tumultuous Year for Music Industry
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Record-setting tours from Elton John, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift generated huge revenues, sparking government scrutiny into Ticketmaster.
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Calls grew louder for reforming streaming royalty payouts to better compensate artists. Several proposals emerged to amend the longstanding pro-rata model.
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Major legal battles involving Megan Thee Stallion, Kesha, and Ed Sheeran wound down, but a high-profile case involving Young Thug's lyrics as evidence looms.
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Layoffs and exits struck Spotify, WMG, UMG, and more as companies pivoted towards profitability.
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Country music and regional Mexican surged in popularity, demonstrating genres can rise beyond expectations. AI and catalog sales also remained hot topics.