2025 in Music Tech: The Year's Top Stories

As 2025 comes to a close, Dmitri and Tristra look back at the year's most significant music tech stories and what they mean for the industry ahead.    From AI music settlements and catalog securitization to sustainability initiatives at live music venues and the future of streaming royalty rates, this year-end roundup covers the trends that shaped music and technology in 2025  Dmitri and Tristra discuss Billboard's biggest stories, analyze the financial tools transforming music rights, and explore how AI is becoming normalized in professional studios, even as questions about fraud and attribution remain unresolved.    They also touch on overlooked but critical issues like healthcare access for self-employed musicians, plant-based catering's climate impact at festivals and the legal battles that will define 2026.    Whether you're wrapping presents or planning for the new year, this episode offers the perspectives you need to understand where music tech has been and where it's headed.   The news 14 Questions for the Music Business in 2026: AI, Live Nation, Spotify, UMG-Downtown & More The 23 biggest music business deals of 2025: From Taylor Swift to Tencent Music, Live Nation, and Chord. - Music Business Worldwide Year-End Roundup: The Biggest Music Business Stories of 2025 (And a Look Ahead to 2026)   The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!    Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.  

This week, we're continuing our Conference Conversations series from last month's conference with a panel called "Brands and Creators: Creative Collaborations Everyone Can Agree To." This panel covers all things brand partnerships, from what makes brands say yes to working with artists, as well as some stories about what not to do. This panel includes Ryan Roth from Pioneer DJ, Mario Ponce from Shure, Kate Sheets from Blipblox and is moderated by our very own Emily Francis. If you're looking to land your first brand deal in the new year, this one's for you. The News On… Suno, Songkick, and a Reddit Revolt African Artists Are Reaching More Global Listeners With Help From Audiomack   The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!    Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.  

This week, we're continuing our Conference Conversations series from last month's conference with a panel called "Betting on the Future: Where Investors See Creator Tools Thriving Alongside AI." In this panel, Andrew Kahn from Yamaha Music Innovation sits down with three venture investors who are actively shaping the future of creative technology: David Ma from Powerhouse Capital, Jason Yeh from Patron, and Connor Sunburg from Amplify. They dive into what actually excites investors in the creator tools space, why most creative tooling companies probably shouldn't raise venture capital, and how to think about building products that people will use for thousands of hours instead of just experimenting with for a week. Whether you're pitching investors next month or simply curious about the creator economy, this panel offers valuable insights on what separates fundable ideas from the rest.   The News Why YouTube Recap flopped and Spotify Wrapped is buzzing Did Spotify Wrapped Just Make a Comeback? YouTube introduces its own version of Spotify Wrapped for videos   The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!  Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

This week, we're continuing our Conference Conversations series from last month's conference with a panel called "Building to Scale: Founders on Building Defensible Companies in the AI Economy."   In this panel, Conor Healy from the Yamaha Music Innovation Fund sits down with Stanley Vergilis from Tone3000, Mauhan Zonoozy from The Vinyl Bar in Shibuya,, and Jessica Powell from AudioShake . The conversation gets real about what it actually takes to build defensible moats, how to fundraise from VCs to angel investors, and the mistakes founders make along the way.    Whether you're building a startup, thinking about taking the leap, or just want to understand what's happening in the music tech startup world, this panel is packed with insights you won't want to miss.   The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!  Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

This week on Music Tectonics, we're continuing our Conference Conversations series with highlights from the Music Tectonics Conference. Over the next several weeks, we'll be sharing our favorite discussions, interviews, and panels that capture what's happening right now in music innovation.   Today, we're featuring a conversation with Ethan Millman from the Hollywood Reporter. Ethan breaks down one of the biggest music industry trends: the blurring lines between music distribution and record labels. We explore how label services are evolving, why distribution deals have become the hottest topic in music business, and what artists need to know when choosing between distributors and record labels.   Whether you're an independent artist navigating distribution options, a music industry professional tracking the latest trends, or a music tech founder building solutions for the creator economy, this conversation offers essential insights into the future of music distribution and artist services.   The News! Baby Shark creator Pinkfong goes public with $372m valuation AI Music Platform Suno Valued at $2.45 Billion Suno will be reading Robert Kyncl's new blog post very closely, as WMG CEO vows to 'legislate, litigate, license' in the era of AI music creation Explosively Viral Track 'I Run' by HAVEN Yanked From Spotify and Other Platforms Over AI 'Artist Impersonation' — Turns Out Suno Is Where It All Started The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!    Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.  

This week on Music Tectonics, we're doing something different. We're kicking off a series of highlights from the Music Tectonics Conference that wrapped up just a couple of weeks ago. Over the next several weeks, we'll be sharing our favorite discussions, interviews, and panels that capture what's happening right now in music innovation. We start with a conversation recorded at the Shure podcast booth with Andrew Kahn and Conor Healy from the Yamaha Music Innovation Fund. Andrew and Conor share how Yamaha is investing in music tech startups, what they look for in founders, and why solving real problems for creators matters more than chasing AI trends or other hype cycles.   In this episode, we discuss: How Yamaha's Innovation Fund is expanding beyond traditional musicians to support all creator types What makes a music tech startup fundable in today's market Why streaming infrastructure and creator economy businesses still offer opportunities The importance of building new revenue streams for creators What investors learn from startup speed dating sessions   Whether you're a music tech founder looking for funding or just curious about where the industry is headed, this conversation offers valuable insights into what investors are actually looking for.   The news!  AI Is Sure to Transform the Music Biz. Opinions Vary on Exactly How. As AI Artists Breaking Rust & Cain Walker Rule a Country Chart, Nashville Execs Weigh in: 'It's Incredibly Detrimental' Spotify and NMPA strike a deal… on 'audiovisual opportunities' Music Videos Are Coming to Spotify in the U.S. and Canada The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!  Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

This week as we have just wrapped up the Music Tectonics Conference in person in Santa Monica, I thought I'd do something a little bit different and release a clip from our pre-conference a couple of months ago by Mark Mulligan of MIDiA research called "Crossroads: Streaming's Time to Choose."    In this keynote, Mark talks about the pressures facing streaming from AI generated content flooding platforms to Gen Z's slower adoption rates and why the industry needs to move from optimization to revolution. We also open it up for some thoughtful questions at the end from you, our community, so stick around for that.    The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!  Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

Our guest this week is Neil Sheehan, the president of Vocana, a streaming platform built for independent artists and fans using a user-centric payment model. We talk about how that's different from other streaming platforms, why social features haven't worked on streaming platforms since the days of MySpace, and whether there's room for indie-focused platforms in what feels like a Spotify-dominated world. It's a great conversation   The news! Suno, in talks to raise $100m at a $2bn valuation, just released its most advanced free AI music tool yet Why Is It So Easy to Flood Streaming With AI Slop? AI Is Killing Wikipedia's Human Traffic   The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!  Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

Pack your bags, we're going to Tectonics! On this week's episode, our marketing director, Eleanor Rust, turns the tables on Dmitri to talk about the upcoming Music Tectonics conference next week from November 4th through 6th in Santa Monica. We talk about how the conference started, what to expect this year, and more. Whether you're on the fence about going or are planning on going and want the full itinerary, this episode is for you!   There's still time to grab your badge at https://www.musictectonics.com/conference  The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!  Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

This week, we're exploring the future of direct-to-fan commerce with Joshua Stone, the CEO and Co-Founder of Stuff.io and book.io. Josh has some serious backing, including names like Mark Cuban, Snoop Dogg, and Charles Hoskinson, the co-founder of Ethereum just to name a few, and has been working on building Web3 infrastructure that lets artists sell media directly to fans that fans can own and not just rent. We talk about why streaming doesn't pay most artists, how direct-to-fan can actually create real revenue and why we finally have the technology to let fans own digital music again. Whether you're an artist looking for new revenue streams or just curious about where music commerce is heading, we cover a lot of ground The News! General public 'more concerned than excited' about increased use of AI   In the AI Age, the Music Industry Needs New Metadata Standards. But Time Is Running Out   Spotify to Develop AI Music Products in Partnership With Major Record Labels    'Death to Spotify': the DIY movement to get artists and fans to quit the music app The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!    Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.