Music Business Worldwide News

1. From Tencent Music’s 250K song takedowns to Sony and WMG’s calendar Q1 results… it’s MBW’s weekly round-up

   The biggest headlines from the past few days...

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2. Law firm Serling Rooks rebrands as McKoy Worob Averill Scott & Koenig LLP, elevates Jeffrey Koenig and adds Margo Scott as named partner

   The change, which took effect in January 2026, follows the departure of named partners Reid Hunter and Joe Serling

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3. Sony generated $3.03bn from recorded music and publishing in calendar Q1 2026, up 19.5% YoY

   Recorded music streaming revenue (combining subscription and ad-funded streaming) was up 13.6% YoY.

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4. Jieun Kim promoted to President of Warner Music Korea

   Exec to lead the company’s operations and strategic expansion within the world’s seventh-largest recorded music market

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5. Warner Music Group generated $1.73B in calendar Q1 2026; subscription streaming revenues rose 12.7% YoY

   Warner Music Group published its calendar Q1 results today (May 7)

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6. Paladin Artists names Rick Levy CEO – and enters ‘advanced discussions’ to acquire Wayne Forte’s Entourage Talent

   The moves mark a significant expansion push for the independent live agency founded by Andy Somers and Steve Martin in 2021.

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7. Tencent Music took down over 250,000 songs and reviewed 600,000+ ‘high-risk’ copyright cases in 2025 amid ’emerging AI risks’

   TME said it took down over 27,000 songs specifically involved in what it categorizes as "song theft," "song laundering," and "trend hijacking"

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8. South Korean prosecutors reject arrest warrant request for HYBE’s Bang Si-hyuk again (report)

   Prosecutors rejected an initial request in April

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9. Australia’s UNIFIED Music Group expands into New Zealand with Matt Harvey hire

   The move brings Harvey’s day-to-day manager Mandy Keighley, along with his management roster, into UNIFIED’s growing trans-Tasman network.

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10. Warner Music Group and Paramount Pictures strike multi-year deal to make theatrical films based on WMG artists and songwriters

    The partnership follows WMG's deal with Netflix, announced in March

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