We’re halfway through 2026, and the music industry has already had its fair share of headline-making moments. From Spotify’s AI remix plans and Drake’s surprise three-album drop to company mergers and antitrust battles, Billboard‘s business editorial team breaks down the biggest stories shaping the industry so far this year. They also revisit the predictions they made at the start of 2026 in an earlier episode of Billboard On The Record, revealing which have already come true, which surprised them and what they expect to happen next. Host Kristin Robinson is joined by Billboard executive editor of business Dan Rys, senior finance correspondent Elizabeth Dilts Marshall and senior legal correspondent Bill Donahue to unpack what these developments mean for artists, executives and the future of the music business.
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Host:
Kristin Robinson
Executive Producers:
Diona DaCosta
Jade Watson
Produced By:
Kayla Forman
Mateo Vergara
Edited By:
Rachel Derbyshire
Bill Donahue:
The big question now is what is the judge going to do in terms of punishment for Live Nation? One of the big options that he has is to break up the company.
Kristin Robinson:
I feel like it’s really difficult to break up two companies after you allowed them to merge like this.
Bill Donahue:
It is historically very, very rare.
Dan Rys:
I do not think that independent music companies should be worried. There is a lot of health in the independent music sector, and I also think that we’re coming to a bit of a blurring of the lines of what we’re even really talking about when we’re talking about independent music. What is indie versus major? We’re in the midst of this kind of shift here.
Elizabeth Dilts Marshall:
Even within entertainment, music, for all of its incredible cultural impact, financially is still significantly smaller than other entertainment industries on a monetary basis.
Kristin Robinson:
I’m not surprised that “Chaotic Good” struck such a chord because I think in the time period that we’re in, everyone is obsessed with conspiracy theories. People don’t believe anything anymore. We are midway through 2026, y’all, and so much has already happened in the music business this year. Drake released not one, not two, but three albums in one day. Spotify is building an AI music model for remixing and covers. An episode of this podcast went viral and led to a beloved indie rock band being called a psyop, of all things, and the merger of Concord and BMG is set to create what we’re calling a new mini major. And is it possible that Live Nation and Ticketmaster might actually get broken up now? I had to have my colleagues Bill Donahue, Liz Dilts Marshall, and Dan Rys back on the pod six months after their last appearance to talk through everything that’s happened so far. All right. Liz, Dan, and Bill, welcome to On the Record. Welcome back, actually. My first returning guests. How are you guys doing?
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