SoundCloud has announced a new ‘Artist’ subscription tier “to help emerging and aspiring musicians get their music out into the world easily and affordably.”

The music streaming platform describes the tier as “bridging the gap” between Basic and the Next Pro tier for professional artists – a tier that has now been renamed Artist Pro.

“We’re renaming Next Pro to Artist Pro to better reflect the evolution of our offerings and our commitment to supporting artists at every stage of their careers,” SoundCloud said in an announcement on Tuesday (December 17).

At $3.25 per month in the US, or $39 per year, the new Artist tier offers many of the same services as the Next Pro tier, but at a considerably lower price than the $8.25 for the newly renamed Artist Pro.

It comes with three hours of uploads per month (versus unlimited uploads on Artist Pro), offers distribution of two tracks per month to SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, TikTok, and more than 60 other platforms; monetization on SoundCloud and other platforms; and one credit per month towards AI mastering.

After three years of litigation, Universal Music Group (UMG) has settled a trademark dispute with investing platform OpenDeal, which does business under the name “Republic,” and blockchain platform Opulous.

UMG had argued that OpenDeal’s use of the “Republic” name created “confusion” with the Republic Records trademark when OpenDeal began to offer clients fractional investing in music.

UMG and OpenDeal notified the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Friday (December 13) that they had reached a settlement in principle

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Judge Jessica Clarke gave the parties a window of 60 days to refile the case, if the terms of the agreement are not met.

UMG Recordings, on behalf of its label Republic Records, sued OpenDeal in 2021, shortly after OpenDeal began marketing a new investment product allowing retail investors to buy shares in music assets.

In its original complaint, which can be read in full here, UMG said it didn’t have a problem with OpenDeal using the Republic name to trade in investment services – but not when it engages in activities in the music industry. In 2022, UMG amended the complaint to add Opulous as a defendant. The blockchain company partnered with OpenDeal/Republic on the fractional music investment product.

Warner Music Group has acquired Italo disco label DWA Records and its publishing arm Extravaganza, marking an expansion of its Italian music catalogue.

The deal, announced Tuesday (January 7), brings more than 250 master recordings of iconic Italo disco tracks under the WMG umbrella including The Rhythm of the Night, performed by Corona and written by Francesco Bontempi; Happy and Uh La Laperformed by Alexia; and Baila, performed by Zucchero and written by Roberto Zanetti. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

DWA Records was established in 1989 by Roberto Zanetti and Francesco Bontempi.

Zanetti, who performs under the name Savage and produces as Robyx, achieved international success with hits like Don’t Cry Tonight and later produced for artists including Corona and Ice MC. Bontempi, known professionally as Lee Marrow, contributed to the Italo disco genre with hits such as Do You Want Me and Shanghai.

Believe-owned distribution company TuneCore has named Mike Ceglio as the company’s new Vice President, Operations Strategy.

Ceglio’s appointment was announced this week by Andreea Gleeson, TuneCore’s Chief Executive Officer, to whom he will report.

As TuneCore’s VP, Operations Strategy, Ceglio will be responsible for overseeing the company’s Business Operations, Content Review, Trust & Safety and Copyright teams.

Working closely with TuneCore’s product team, he will “provide strategic direction to optimize and enhance the company’s operational processes and systems,” according to the announcement of his appointment.

It’s long been touted as one of the most exciting music streaming platforms in Africa – with over 98 million monthly active users as of the end of 2023 and a steep growth trajectory.

But now Boomplay’s relationship with music’s leading global rightsholders is looking precarious.

MBW has confirmed that Sony Music has this week pulled its full catalog from the service, including titles distributed by The Orchard and AWAL.

Meanwhile, sources tell MBW that concerns have been growing at other rightsholders over late royalty payments from the platform.

Boomplay is owned by Transsnet Music, a joint venture between China-based mobile phone maker TRANSSION Holdings Group and China-headquartered internet giant NetEase (owner of streaming service NetEase Cloud Music).

Virgin Music Group, Universal Music Group‘s global indie artist and label services division, has formed a strategic partnership with Hungama Digital Media to boost the international exposure of Indian regional music.

The collaboration aims to leverage Hungama‘s digital entertainment network and Virgin Music‘s global distribution capabilities to create opportunities for Indian artists to reach worldwide audiences.

“This collaboration will expand our reach in India and enable their songs to reach new global audiences, supporting our commitment to artist empowerment and innovation,” said Amit Sharma, Country Manager of India for Virgin Music Group.