Playboi Carti’s ‘Music’ Debuts at No. 1 With Biggest Streaming Numbers Since Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets’

The 30-song set enters the Billboard 200 with 298,000 album units earned in the United States, according to Luminate, and a total of 384 million streams — these are the biggest streaming numbers for any album since Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” collected 428.54 million listens in its second week (May 2024).

Streaming Loves Cheap Content: Will Video Kill The Audio Star?

Streaming loves cheap content as the race to deliver more for less heats up. Wth Spotify, YouTube, Netflix and all of streaming embracing low cost content, the lines between music, video, and TV are blurring.

Miley Cyrus Announces Visual Album 'Something Beautiful'

Though details surrounding the record are scarce, the singer revealed that her ninth album will feature 13 original tracks and is executive produced by Cyrus and Shawn Everett, who previously worked with Kacey Musgraves and Alabama Shakes.

Stem Distribution Sold to Concord Music

As expected, Concord, the Nashville-based independent music company, has added Stem Distribution to its portfolio of subsidiaries, the company announced on Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and sources’ claims vary widely, with some close to the situation telling Variety the deal was in the $90 million range while others insist it is closer to the “mid” eight figures.

Brazilian authorities make arrest in uploading of 400 fake tracks to Spotify that were streamed 28m times

The accused has also been charged with stealing from composers via promotional WhatsApp groups.

Linktree Teams Up with Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco for New Album Launch

With 70 million active users on Linktree, the collaboration is set to create a buzz among the platform’s vast audience.

For Believe UK, DISCO Is “Part Of The Solution” For Tackling More Sync Opportunities

A discussion on using DISCO to gain a better understanding into sync and licensing trends and collaborate across departments, and how tech can better facilitate catalog discovery and faster licensing.

How WME's Shari Lewin Helped Build A First-Class Music Brand Partnership Department

For Shari Lewin, Partner and Co-Head of Music Brand Partnerships at WME, a pivotal career moment came in the early-2010s when she worked in what was then a booming part of the industry that today is all but forgotten: Ringtones.

From Music City, AI-Powered Content Verification Startup ViNIL Wants To Keep Deepfakes and Digital Deception in Check

That TikTok you saw while scrolling. An article your friend forwarded. The YouTube link sent in your family’s group chat. In 2025, how can you know for sure that any of it is real?

The Global Rise of African Music

This is a story of African artists, celebrated in their home countries, bringing their music to the global stage — not Western artists with African ancestry borrowing African sounds.

Radio.Cloud Releases Syndication Transport Tool

The transporter imports show segments into a station’s automation playout and allows for last-minute changes.

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

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