September 2026 Music Roundup

SoundCloud Will Let Fans Buy Music Directly from Artists

SoundCloud is launching direct track purchases: fans will be able to buy songs directly from artists' pages, while artists get an additional income stream without intermediaries.

What's happening:
– The feature is already in beta: as of August 26, around 200 creators on the Artist Pro plan can sell tracks directly from their profiles.
– Buyers download tracks in MP3 or WAV.
– Artists keep 100% of the sale (minus standard fees and taxes).

Direct sales give independent artists another monetization channel within the same ecosystem where they already find their first listeners. For fans, it's a simple way to buy a track in good quality and support the artist directly.

Global music publishing market revenue grew to $12.2 billion

Global music publishing industry revenue increased by 9.6% in 2025, reaching $12.2 billion, according to research company MIDiA Research.

Streaming remains the main source of revenue. At the same time, revenue from music catalogs acquired by specialized funds grew by nearly 15%, to $1.6 billion.

Major publishers grew faster than independent companies. Their combined market share increased by 1.3 percentage points to 54.7%. Sony Music Publishing became the largest publisher with the fastest growth rates for the second year in a row.

MIDiA expects further market development thanks to a diversity of revenue sources, including streaming, public performance, and synchronization. At the same time, publishers will have to work more actively with new technologies, including artificial intelligence, and secure more favorable licensing terms.

Concert films are becoming not just a nice addition to a tour for artists, but a standalone marketing tool

Cinemas are increasingly adding music content to their schedules: major studios are releasing fewer films, and theaters need to attract audiences, including on weekdays. After the success of "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour," which grossed $261 million worldwide, it became clear: fans are ready to go to the movies for a collective musical experience.

For an artist, this opens up several opportunities at once:
– reaching cities and countries the tour doesn't yet cover,
– introducing music to a new audience for whom a live concert is too expensive or inconvenient,
– giving hardcore fans another reason to relive the show,
– increasing merch sales during screenings,
– testing demand in new regions before planning future tours.

A concert film doesn't have to gross blockbuster-level box office. Its value lies elsewhere: it expands reach, strengthens the connection with the community, and turns a concert into an experience accessible far beyond the venue.

For independent artists, the logic is the same, even if instead of a wide release it's a screening in a local cinema, club, cultural center, or an online premiere. The main thing is not just to post a concert recording, but to frame it as a standalone event: with a premiere, limited merch, audience engagement, and content around the release.

RAYE and other artists made the TIME100 Next list

TIME magazine has unveiled its TIME100 Next 2026 list, featuring 100 emerging leaders in entertainment, sports, business, science, politics, and other fields. Among them are seven musicians: RAYE, Troye Sivan, PinkPantheress, Megan Moroney, Conan Gray, Alex Warren, and sombr.

RAYE became one of three cover stars of the international edition. On October 29, the singer will perform at the TIME100 Next event in New York.

For each musician, TIME enlisted a well-known author to write about their influence and work. RAYE was profiled by actress Anya Taylor-Joy, and Conan Gray by Olivia Rodrigo.

The TIME100 Next list is not a ranking and honors emerging leaders who are already making a noticeable impact on contemporary culture.