Here's a rundown of some of our favorite stories from this week on Hypebot. As always, thanks for reading and being part of our growing community of artists, managers, and industry pros.
Top Stories
The “Phantom” Festival That Vanished
What happens when a music festival ghosts its own booking agents?
Hypebot Editorial Desk
Selena Gomez Says Vaping “Changed” Her Voice — Here’s What’s Actually Going On
The actor and singer's vaping-and-voice admission anchors Hypebot's practical explainer on how vaping actually damages vocal cords.
Hypebot Editorial Desk
Virtual Concerts Still Exist. Why Aren’t We Talking About Them?
What would make virtual concerts worth sustained attention — huge attendance numbers, compelling performances, or meaningful income for artists?
Hypebot Editorial Desk
‘No Humiliation Allowed’: MARIS Is Asking You to Dance Like Nobody’s Filming
DIY pop artist MARIS wants fans to dance without fear of being filmed and mocked online, are performers responsible for helping fans feel comfortable (letting go)?
Jeremy Young
Advice & Tips
What Should You Check Before Signing Up With a Music Distributor?
When choosing a distribution partner, look beyond price at things like: catalog protection, release codes, exit terms, support, payouts, and more.
Guest Author
When the Best Career Move Is to Stop Asking the Industry to Let You In
After years of seeking acceptance from Americana’s institutions, one artist reflects on the cost of chasing industry validation; and the freedom of not belonging.
Guest Author
How Artists Can Streamline Bandcamp Merch Orders on Printful
Practical tips for fulfilling Bandcamp merch orders through Printful, even if the two platforms don't really integrate.
Guest Author
5 Ways To Grow Your Music Industry Network
Great music isn’t enough. Building a real music industry network creates real career opportunities. Learn where and how to connect authentically.
ReverbNation Blog
Marketing in Music
How to Use Bandsintown Boost to Market Live Shows
Plus: "The Jay Electronica Playbook" is a case study on how an artist can use digital visibility and analytics to sell tickets in multiple live markets.
Bandsintown
A Solo Tour Doesn’t Have to Be a “Solo Era”
Wednesday’s Karly Hartzman is venturing out solo to do some shows. She's not making a big thing of it, and that's sort of the thing…
Jeremy Young
Every Label Builds Its Creator Lists the Same Way. Our Data Says That Way Is Wrong.
Influur’s data says music marketers should prioritize recent campaign performance and musical fit over follower count, and shift budgets accordingly.
Guest Author
Be Memorable: Picking the Right Horse to Run Your Grammy Campaign
Be Memorable is a monthly column about how artists can use the power of branding and promotion to break through the noise and be memorable.
Yaya Diamond
Streaming & AI
AFM launches 'Human Made, Human Paid' AI Music Campaign
Musicians union AFM launches Human Made, Human Paid ahead of major label talks demanding consent, credit, fair pay if sound recordings train AI.
Bruce Houghton
Spotify Excludes 50M AI Slop Tracks from Recommendations
Spotify has now pulled 50 million AI slop from recommendations and labeled AI artists in addition to deleting 75 million tracks earlier this year.
Bruce Houghton
UMG, Sony Sue DistroKid To Reveal Scale Of Suno, AI Music
Universal and Sony file a new court motion forcing DistroKid to reveal the true scale of AI songs flooding DSPs and fueling their Suno lawsuit.
Bruce Houghton
Spotify Q3 2026: 788M Users and 306M Subscribers
Spotify stock jumped after a Q3 2026 report showed strong growth with 788M monthly users and 306M premium subscribers alongside record margins.
Bruce Houghton
Live Focus
“In The Dark” Takes a Pitch-Black Live Music Experience to UK Cathedrals
The centuries-old listening format of acousmatic concert music has found a new commercial, touring production home in UK cathedrals this year.
Hypebot Editorial Desk
Raise the Bar Campaign Targets Venue Merch Cuts, Pay-to-Play
Musicians union UMAW is reving up its Raise the Bar campaign calling on venues to increase transparency as well as end merch fees and pay-to-play.
Bruce Houghton
Raleigh's “Temporary” Venue Lasted 16 Years — It's Now Becoming Permanent.
Raleigh's Red Hat Amphitheater offers a useful lesson for live music development: let a venue establish its audience before committing to its permanent home.
Hypebot Editorial Desk
“The Greatest Show on Earth:” A Brief History of U2’s Biggest Live Gambles
From Live Aid to Zoo TV to Sphere, U2’s biggest live stunts reveal a band constantly rethinking how to make massive concerts feel personal.
Jeremy Young
News
Music Industry News From Across The Web ♫
The latest music industry and live music news under the INDUSTRY NEWS tab at the top of every page. We search the web so you don't have to.
Bruce Houghton
Goldman Sachs 2026 Music Report: The Monetization Era
Goldman Sachs 2026 'Music In The Air' report upgrades industry growth with streaming price hikes, superfans and live music driving revenue growth.
Bruce Houghton
Everywhere At Once Gives £100K To Youth & Music Charities
2,000 artists played MVT's Everywhere At Once festival raising £100,000 for War Child, Help Musicians, Teenage Cancer Trust & Nordoff and Robbins.
Bruce Houghton
Live Nation filing calls FTC suit "perversion" of Bots Act
In a fiery federal court filing, Live Nation asserts the FTC is distorting anti-bot laws and punishing Ticketmaster for third-party scalper abuse.
Bruce Houghton
*This Week's Wild Card
Touring Radar: 5 Tours We’re Watching This Week
Touring Radar tracks newly announced dates that say something bigger about the business of live music. Here's what's catching our eye.
Hypebot Editorial Desk
