After raising $165m at a $1bn valuation, Create Music Group acquires UK-based label Ostereo

Founded in 2016 by Howard Murphy, Create says that Ostereo has “successfully used data analytics” to identify and develop artists from various territories around the world, including Europe, UK, Korea, India, Indonesia, The Philippines and others.

Warner Music Posts 8% Growth in Streaming Revenue for Fiscal 2024

The company also pointed to a fourth consecutive year of double-digit revenue growth for its Warner Chappell publishing division and the hot year from its revived Warner Records label.

Opera and Spotify Partner to Put Your Favorite Music Inside the Browser

As part of this partnership, Spotify becomes the default streaming service within the upgraded Music Player in Opera’s flagship browser, Opera One.

Virgin Music Group and Partisan Records Form Global Distribution Partnership

Under the new deal, Partisan Records’ repertoire will be distributed globally via Virgin Music Group, collaborating on a dynamic approach to global marketing.

Slipstream and Kobalt join forces for global music publishing administration

The deal includes an investment from Kobalt into Slipstream, which last month acquired Anthem Entertainment’s production music businesses, specifically US-based Jingle Punks, 5 Alarm Music and UK-based Cavendish Music. The acquisition bolstered Slipstream’s music production library by more than 650,000 tracks. 

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ ‘Die With a Smile’ Becomes Fastest Song to Reach a Billion Streams on Spotify

The track, which released in initially released as a standalone single in August, was an instant hit, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the time since, the song has had remarkable staying power, with subsequent versions including a “Live in Las Vegas” rendition and an acoustic iteration hitting streaming services in October.

How Tech can Prioritize the needs of Creators

As the digital landscape evolves, it’s crucial for tech solutions to prioritize the needs of creators for sustainable growth. Explore how innovative platforms are shifting focus to empower creators and reshape the industry.

TikTok launches ‘#BehindTheSong Live’ songwriter masterclasses

The new series extends this into livestreams, starting on 27 November with a songwriting masterclass from RuthAnne. Held on TikTok itself, the stream will see the Grammy-nominated writer offering “my best songwriting secrets, tips for writing hits, and music industry advice”.

Latest milestone for Apple’s Shazam is 100bn song recognitions

Apple acquired music-identification app Shazam in 2018, and has since worked it into the fabric of its iOS software – as well as continuing to develop it as a standalone app. Now the service has hit a new milestone: 100bn song recognitions since its launch all the way back in 2002.

— Send story ideas & feedback to: jeff@platformandstream.com

️— Interested in sponsoring the newsletter? You'll find all the details here.​