Billboard Magazine Music

What’s Next in the Music Industry for 2026? Billboard Predicts Trends | Billboard On The Record 0 (0)

What does it really take to cover, analyze and predict the biggest moves in the music industry at Billboard? Dan Rys, executive editor of business, Elizabeth Dilts Marshall, senior finance correspondent and Bill Donahue, senior legal correspondent, sit down with Kristin Robinson on Billboard On The Record to give listeners a peek inside the newsroom that tracks the stories shaping music today. They share their biggest coverage moments of 2025, from Taylor Swift reclaiming her catalog and Shaboozey tying the Hot 100 record to Diddy’s legal battles and leadership changes at Island Records. The team also weighs in on what’s [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Does Radio Still Matter in 2026? | Billboard On the Record 0 (0)

The U.S. is the only major music market where artists don’t get paid when their songs are played on FM/AM radio, but why? Michael Huppe, CEO of SoundExchange, breaks down the century-old laws that shaped American radio, and what SoundExchange is doing to push for artists to get paid on radio through efforts such as the American Music Fairness Act. He joins host Kristin Robinson to unpack the history of radio, from payola scandals, the creation of satellite and online radio, the rise of consolidation and the shift from tastemaker to follower status in the streaming era. With AI radio [See More…]

Billboard Magazine Music

Inside the Rise of AI Music: How Imogen Heap Is Shaping the Future | Billboard On The Record 0 (0)

AI is reshaping the music industry, and Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer Imogen Heap breaks down what this moment really means for creators. She joins host Kristin Robinson to unpack how she’s blended technology with artistry for two decades, the rise of generative AI and why it’s becoming harder to tell where human creativity ends and machine production begins. Heap explains the urgent need for better metadata, identity layers and contributor search tools, and what it will take to set the right standards before AI becomes fully embedded in the music industry. She discusses the possibility of labels signing AI [See More…]