Losses continue at Simon Cowell’s talent agency YMU amid high-profile departures Business Losses continued at the London talent agency which represents the likes of Simon Cowell, Graham Norton and Ant and Dec in the period it was sold for £60m, it has been revealed. YMU, whose clients also include Stacey Solomon and Davina McCall, was taken over by Permira Credit in March 2024. The deal, which saw [...]
Artists, pop stars, musicians, lend me your ears: We can’t stop AI from using our work Opinion Banning AI from training on artists' work is like banning people from reading, writes Sir Robin Millar in today's Notebook.
ABBA legend reveals his one rule for making AI music at SXSW London event Life&Style ABBA star Björn Ulvaeus, who has leaned into music’s technological revolution through his ABBA Voyage hologram show and his campaigning work around music and AI, has said that while he uses AI to make music, it’s essential to rely on a sense of “inner direction” to make sure the music is high quality. It comes [...]
Oasis reunion tour to boost London’s economy by £426m May 22, 2025 The long-awaited Oasis reunion is set to deliver a remarkable £426.3m boost to London’s economy, with fans across the UK set to spend over £1bn. New data from Novuna Personal Finance found that the band’s sold-out, seven-night residency at Wembley Stadium will attract more than 630,000 fans to the capital, with each night forecast to [...]
Harry Styles’ record label suffers dramatic decline after album and touring success May 19, 2025 Harry Styles’ record label suffered a dramatic fall in its sales and profit in the year after the release of his third solo album. The former One Direction star released the Harry’s House album in May 2022 through his studio, Erskine Records, and Columbia Records. Its success resulted in Erskine Records achieving a turnover of [...]
The O2 owner’s touring and festivals arm almost doubles sales May 15, 2025 Sales at the UK touring and festivals arm of the group that owns The O2 in London almost doubled as its profits surged during 2024, it has been revealed. AEG Presents has posted a turnover of £340m for its latest financial year, up from the £178.3m it reported for 2023. New accounts filed with Companies [...]
Plans to build UK’s largest arena in London revealed by Co-op Live owner May 14, 2025 The live entertainment giant which co-owns the UK’s largest indoor arena, Co-op Live, is looking at building up to two new venues in London at a cost of around £1.5bn. Speaking to City AM, Oak View Group (OVG) chief executive Tim Leiweke revealed plans for up to two arenas are currently being considered with the [...]
Artists must stop fearmongering. AI is not a threat to the music industry April 16, 2025 AI is not a threat to music any more than drum machines were in the 1980s. Wealthy artists crying about AI are fearmongering, writes Robin Millar.
HMV: Sales on song as billionaire owner helps turn around high street icon March 6, 2025 Sales at HMV have more than doubled in the last three years as its recovery under the ownership of Canadian billionaire Doug Putman continues at pace. The high street staple has reported a turnover of £189.5m for the 12 months to 30 May, 2024, up from the £177.9m it achieved in the prior year. The [...]
Co-op Live rakes in millions after overcoming disastrous launch March 3, 2025 Co-op Live, the UK’s largest indoor arena, bounced back from a disastrous launch to rake in millions during its first year in operation. The £365m Manchester venue hit national headlines at the start of 2024 when its grand opening was delayed several times. The fall out led to the resignation of boss Gary Roden days [...]