In a significant development in the music industry, Merlin, a digital licensing organization representing independent music labels, filed a lawsuit against Triller, a TikTok rival, on March 27, 2025, in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. The suit alleges Triller breached a 2020 licensing agreement, owing Merlin $2.55 million in unpaid fees and violating a "most favored nation" clause, which ensures equal payment terms among music companies. The breach came to light through Sony Music’s 2022 lawsuit against Triller, settled for $4.57 million, revealing better terms offered to Sony.

Merlin’s complaint also claims Triller...

Atlanta, GA – The music world is reeling after rapper Young Scooter, real name Kenneth Edward Rashaad Baile, died on March 28, 2025, his 39th birthday, in a shocking turn of events that has left fans and family heartbroken. The Atlanta Police Department confirmed that the hip-hop artist succumbed to a leg injury sustained while fleeing officers responding to a domestic dispute call, plunging the industry into mourning and sparking heated debate.

The incident unfolded late Thursday when police were dispatched to a residence following reports of shots fired and a woman being dragged inside. As officers approached, Young...

The American music industry plunged into crisis on January 19, 2025, as the Supreme Court-upheld TikTok ban officially took effect. With ByteDance unable to complete a mandated sale, the platform that revolutionized music discovery vanished from American phones, leaving artists and labels scrambling for alternatives.

Independent musicians have been hit hardest, losing a vital discovery platform that had democratized the path to success. "It's like someone just turned off the biggest radio station in the country overnight," remarked executive Marissa Chen.

Major labels are redirecting marketing dollars to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, but these platforms lack TikTok's...