Music technology is an increasingly news-worthy and reputationally impacted sector given recent developments in generative AI that have sparked heated debates in the industry. The industry is need of support from music tech PR agencies and this is your definitive guide of journalists to follow.
1. Glenn Peoples, Lead Analyst, Billboard
No music press list would be complete without including a journalist from Billboard, whilst traditionally covering music and entertainment news there are several sections on their website where they cover announcements from music tech companies. Check out the Deals newsletter where they cover the hottest deals in the music sector, our client Cyanite was recently featured in this bulletin.
Glenn Peoples is the Lead Analyst based in Los Angeles, California and is also the co-host of the podcast Behind the Setlist. He mostly covers business news and we love his take on the profitability of metadata.
2. Stuart Dredge, Head of Insight, Music Ally
Music Ally is the go-to destination for many in the music tech industry. It was one of the first publications to really cover tech developments in the industry and was covering issues like generative AI before it became mainstream. It was launched in 2002 with the mission to help the global music industry to thrive from digital disruption rather than fear it. They also have a daily weekday newsletter for subscribers and often feature news on their newsletter before it hits the main site.
As Head of Insight, Stuart has published several interesting pieces on the recent developments in generative AI in the industry, like this article on AI licensing deals.
3. Paul Resnikoff, Founder, Digital Music News
The name says it all, Digital Music News is the information authority for music industry and technology executives - they cover everything from entertainment industry analysis to business intelligence. They also have a newsletter, the Daily Snapshot which is worth subscribing to.
Paul is the founder, and he writes about pretty much everything music industry related - streaming platforms, artist royalties, format disruption, the vinyl resurgence, copyright battles, and startup struggles. We love his take on the controversial UMG takedown of the viral Drake and The Weeknd deepfakes.
4. Murray Stassen, Editor, Music Business Worldwide
Music Business Worldwide is one of the leading publications for everything music and entertainment related. Based in the UK but it covers international news, deals, new technology developments, and regulatory issues. It truly is the most trusted source in the industry.
Murray is the editor and writes across news, analysis and interviews on MBW, as well as making key contributions to physical titles like Music Business UK and the MBW Yearbook. This piece on how there are now 120,000 new tracks hitting music streaming services a day is amazing and highlights the important role curation can play in the industry.
5. Nick Reilly, News Editor, Rolling Stone
Another veteran publication in the music industry, Rolling Stone is known for its provocative print covers, but it also has a great online site which focuses on music, politics, and popular culture.
Nick is the UK news editor and he covers your usual roundup on news events such as the Brit Awards but also writes about important developments in UK politics such as the resignation of MP and Former PM Boris Johnson.
6. Andre Paine, Digital Editor, Music Week
Music Week is a classic trade publication in the industry and has been around for over 50 years. It is a reliable and trustworthy source on the industry but also provides other services such as job boards, events, and awards.
Andre has held several high-profile roles entertainment and music journalism roles. He was the former global news editor at Billboard, Evening Standard reporter and music critic, broadcast/online journalist at BBC 6 Music, and news editor at NME. He has covered news such as the $250 million law suit against Twitter by US music published.
7. Becky Buckle, Multimedia Editor, Miximag
Miximag is technically a consumer title on electronic dance music but it does have a dedicated tech section on the website which covers acquisitions, new product launches, and streaming services.
Becky is the multimedia editor and has covered recent developments in generative AI such as this story on research which has revealed that almost 60% of artists are already using AI to create music.
8. Jeff Hyatt, Founder, Platform & Stream
Platform & Stream is a daily newsletter (even on weekends!) and while they have a physical website, the charm is really in its newsletter which collates opinion pieces, news announcements, acquisitions, and research.
Jeff, the founder of Platform & Stream has been rounding up all the interesting takes on generative AI such as in this newsletter.
9. Bruce Houghton, Founder Hypebot
Hypebot publishes trends and technologies that are changing how music is discovered, consumed, marketed and monetized. It is also features thought-provoking opinion articles like this one from our client Markus Schwarzer, CEO of Cyanite on how AI can generate new revenue for existing music catalogs.
Bruce is the founder, and he also edits the daily sister blog Music Think Tank which is also worth checking out.
10. Emmanuel Legrand, Founder, Creative Industries News
Emmanuel runs Creative Industries News which publishes news related to the creative sector and the copyright-driven economies in the digital eco-system.
Emmanuel is a veteran journalist in the music industry, he was former US editor for British music industry trade publication Music Week and the global editor of US trade publication Billboard (2003-2006).
Creative Industries News is a great source on news related to the digital economy and copyright for example Emmanuel recently covered the discussions by UMG and SoundCloud on the ‘artist-centric’ mode.