Universal Music Group is selling half its Spotify stake, valued at up to $1.4 billion, and will share proceeds with its artists under a landmark clause negotiated by Taylor Swift in 2018. The "non-recoupable" provision ensures artists receive payments regardless of whether they have recouped their advances, breaking from traditional industry practice where such proceeds typically offset existing debts. This marks the first time Universal artists will benefit from such a transaction. Swift had insisted the clause be included in her 2018 contract, stating it was more important to her than any other term. The distribution could yield millions for top-tier artists and represents a significant shift in streaming-era royalty structures. Universal has not disclosed specific allocation details or timing.

Supercars appoints Popsta Media as digital media sales agency. Supercars has appointed Popsta Media as its digital media sales agency, granting the consultancy exclusive responsibility for YouTube media sales across Australia and New Zealand. The appointment gives brands access to one of Australia's most engaged motorsport audiences through premium placements. Popsta will also oversee sales of digital inventory across the Supercars website, app and branded content integrations, creating new opportunities for advertisers to buy Supercars YouTube media directly. Perfect timing. Popsta Media is a music, sport and entertainment media consultancy partnering with Universal Music Group, Moonbug Entertainment and now Supercars across Australia and New Zealand. The business represents exclusive YouTube inventory spanning global music talent, premium kids content and high-performance motorsport. Supercars head of digital Andrew Mara says: "Supercars is one of Australia's largest sports and the country's premier motor racing category, and Bathurst is one of Australia's biggest cultural icons. "The growth across our digital channels been exponential, following heavy investment into the digital experience across each digital touchpoint. It was the perfect time for us to partner with Popsta Media, who brings deep expertise in digital and YouTube monetisation." Strengthens commercial digital offering. Shaun Warry, co-founder of Popsta Media, says the partnership gives brands a premium entry point into one of the most scaled and engaged digital sports audiences in the market. "We're excited to now offer brands premium brand-safe opportunities in one of Australia's largest sports, through YouTube media, content sponsorships, display inventory and branded content opportunities." Andrew Mara, Supercars head of digital, says that a shift in content strategy has driven high demand from brands to partner with Supercars through content integration. "We've had high demand from brands wanting to position themselves around our highly engaged YouTube audience. The partnership with Popsta Media strengthens our commercial digital offering and creates new ways for brands to engage Supercars fans across our owned platforms."

Sony Music and UMG unite in Japan with 'NINE BY NINE' festival venture. The company's first festival is slated for 2027, though details around location, lineup and investment scale have yet to be disclosed. Musicbusinessworldwide.com In a rare show of alignment between two global rivals, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group have launched a joint venture in Japan aimed at scaling live music experiences across Asia. The new Tokyo-based company, NINE BY NINE Inc., was officially established on April 1 and will focus on producing music festivals while supporting the international expansion of Japanese artists. Headquartered in Shibuya, the venture will be led by Ichiro Tamaki of Universal Music Japan as President, alongside Sony Music's Hidehiko Otani as Vice President. The partnership stands out in an industry typically defined by competition, particularly in Japan, one of the world's largest and most tightly contested music markets. But both companies are betting on a shared opportunity: the accelerating global demand for Japanese music and culture. In a joint statement, Sony Music and UMG pointed to the rising international visibility of Japanese artists, fueled by anime, social media and increasing outbound touring activity. At the same time, inbound tourism tied to live music experiences has grown, creating new demand for large-scale events. By combining their global networks, infrastructure and market expertise, the two majors aim to create high-impact live events that connect regional audiences with Japanese talent, while also building pathways for those artists to break internationally. The company's first festival is slated for 2027, though details around location, lineup and investment scale have yet to be disclosed. The move reflects a broader shift in how major labels are approaching global growth. Rather than relying solely on recorded music and streaming, companies are increasingly investing in live experiences and cross-market collaborations to build cultural momentum.