13 h. ago ‘Playing in a war zone isn’t for most people’: the British band braving drone strikes and pneumonia to tour Ukraine

How did an Aussie, a Texan, an Irishman and three Cumbrians find themselves on the road on the Ukrainian frontline? For classic rock collective Hardwicke Circus, it was a no-brainer: ‘We thought they’d like to hear some rock’n’roll’ It is late October and, 10 kilometres from the frontline in Donetsk, east Ukraine, the inhabitants of a reconditioned ambulance are completely lost. While opening your phone and logging on to a maps app might appear the obvious solution, this would be extremely unwise here: Russian drones are overhead and hunting for any signals.Inside the van are a motley crew: an 81-year-old Irish music industry veteran; a 72-year-old Texas rocker; an Australian keyboardist; a Ukrainian saxophonist; and three twenty-something musicians from Carlisle, Cumbria. Their destination is a military base where they are to perform for Ukrainian troops. Continue reading...

Events

63 h. ago The UK music industry boomed in 2025: So why are artists struggling?

Will new changes allow young musicians to actually be able to earn a living next year?

Culture

3 d. ago Oasis reunion and Taylor Swift vinyls fuel boom year for UK music industry

BPI figures show music lovers listened to equivalent of 210.3m albums by UK artists in 2025 in 11th consecutive year of growthNostalgia surrounding the Oasis reunion tour, alongside Taylor Swift fans’ clamour for vinyl, contributed to another boom year for the UK music industry, as physical formats continued their comeback.Music lovers listened to the equivalent of 210.3m albums by UK artists during 2025, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) annual report, up 4.9% on 2024 and the 11th year of growth in a row. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Beyonce joins exclusive club of music billionaires after raking in huge fortune

Pop superstar Beyonce joins her husband and three other esteemed living musicians on the list of the music industry's billionaires after incredible takings from her last tour and album

Society

3 d. ago Rage against the algorithm: Is there hope for the music industry in 2026?

Will new changes allow young musicians to actually be able to earn a living next year?

Politics

6 d. ago From Central Cee to Adolescence: in 2025 British culture had a global moment – but can it last?

Despite funding cuts and shuttered venues, homegrown music, TV, film and, yes, memes have dominated the global zeitgeist over the past 12 years. Now this culture must be future-proofed from the forces of globalisationOn the face of it, British culture looks doomed. Our music industry is now borderline untenable, with grassroots venues shuttering at speed (125 in 2023 alone) and artists unable to afford to play the few that are left; touring has become a loss leader that even established acts must subsidise with other work. Meanwhile, streaming has gutted the value of recorded music, leading to industry contraction at the highest level: earlier this year the UK divisions of Warners and Atlantic – two of our biggest record labels – were effectively subsumed into the US business.In comedy, the Edinburgh fringe – the crucible of modern British standup, sketch and sitcom – is in existential crisis thanks to a dearth of sponsorship and prohibitively high costs for performers. Our film ind...

Politics

7 d. ago AI boom adds more than half a trillion dollars to wealth of US tech barons in 2025

Elon Musk’s net worth increased by nearly 50% to $645bn with founders of Google and Amazon also seeing huge wealth gainsA stock market boom in artificial intelligence companies has added more than half a trillion dollars to the wealth of America’s tech barons in the past year, data shows.The top 10 US founders and bosses of some of the world’s largest technology companies saw their finances swell to nearly $2.5tn, up from $1.9tn, in the year to Christmas Eve, according to figures from Bloomberg. Continue reading...

Science

7 d. ago AI boom adds $500bn to net worth of US tech billionaires in 2025

Elon Musk stays on top as Nvidia’s Jensen Huang powers up the rankings on an AI-fuelled surge in fortunes

Economics

8 d. ago I met Kylie and Dannii Minogue working in the music industry

Under the title of a forum post titled 'nice and not very nice celebrities who you have met', one fan opened up on her experience of meeting Kylie, 57, and Dannii, 54.

Politics

9 d. ago Pregnant Paloma Faith recalls the horrendous things she saw while working in a fetish club to her mother Pam as she attempted to break into the music industry

The pregnant singer, 44, opened up on her experiences during her latest Mad, Sad and Bad podcast episode as she spoke to her mother Pam.

Politics

1 week ago Extremists are using AI voice cloning to supercharge propaganda. Experts say it’s helping them grow

Researchers warn generative tools are helping militant groups from neo-Nazis to the Islamic State spread ideologyWhile the artificial intelligence boom is upending sections of the music industry, voice generating bots are also becoming a boon to another unlikely corner of the internet: extremist movements that are using them to recreate the voices and speeches of major figures in their milieu, and experts say it is helping them grow.“The adoption of AI-enabled translation by terrorists and extremists marks a significant evolution in digital propaganda strategies,” said Lucas Webber, a senior threat intelligence analyst at Tech Against Terrorism and a research fellow at the Soufan Center. Webber specializes in monitoring the online tools of terrorist groups and extremists around the world. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago How pop icon JoJo shot to stardom age 13 with 'inappropriate' songs written by men before she disappeared from the limelight to battle sex, drug and alcohol addiction

Her catchy debut single Leave (Get Out) became an instant hit and she appeared perfectly set up for a long career in the music industry.

Events

2 w. ago Add to playlist: the bullish confidence and versatility of JayaHadADream and the week’s best new tracks

A breakout star of the underground rap scene shows vulnerability and wit in her genre-bending tracksFrom CambridgeshireRecommended if you like Manga Saint Hilare, Kojey Radical, Little SimzUp next Happiness from Agony out now“One of the coldest writers but man don’t say it ’cause I’ve got vagina,” JayaHadADream raps on her recent track Bug, calling out those who underestimate her talent – and laying bare her lyrical confidence. In a fertile underground rap scene, the Jamaican-Irish, Cambridge-via-Nottingham artist has cut through thanks to her command and vulnerability, as well as a sharp eye for bullshit. The track Main Characters (featuring Big Zuu), also from her recent mixtape Happiness from Agony, is a critique of the fake love and hollow posturing that saturates the music industry. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago 2025’s AI boom caused huge CO2 emissions and use of water, research finds

Study’s author says society not tech companies paying for environmental impact of AI and asks if this is fairThe AI boom has caused as much carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere in 2025 as emitted by the whole of New York City, it has been claimed.The global environmental impact of the rapidly spreading technology has been estimated in research published on Wednesdaywhich also found that AI-related water use now exceeds the entirety of global bottled-water demand. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago AI boom has caused same CO2 emissions in 2025 as New York City, report claims

Study author says tech companies are reaping benefits of artificial intelligence age but society is left to pay costThe AI boom has caused as much carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere in 2025 as emitted by the whole of New York City, it has been claimed.The global environmental impact of the rapidly spreading technology has been estimated in research published on Wednesday which also found that AI-related water use now exceeds the entirety of global bottled-water demand. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Kirsty MacColl's brutal death, wealth and who gets Fairytale of New York royalties

Kirsty MacColl continues to dominate the music industry around Christmas, with her smash hit Fairytale of New York alongside the late Shane MacGowan – but who receives her royalties?

Events

2 w. ago Trump’s tariffs are choking small US manufacturers – even those making music magic

EarthQuaker Devices has served Smashing Pumpkins, PJ Harvey and Radiohead but says tariffs add costs up to 30%Julie Robbins and her team at EarthQuaker Devices have made guitar pedals for some of the biggest names in the world of music. The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, PJ Harvey and others have sought out the company’s bespoke, handmade pedals for their unique sounds and designs. Its most popular model, Plumes, has sold over 67,000 devices.Their made-from-scratch effects petals use more than 1,000 components, many which are imported directly from countries such as China and Vietnam or are bought from companies that bring them in from overseas. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Six great reads: the boomer housing gap, the voice of the very online left and the genius of Martin Parr

Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the last seven days Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago ‘Men explicitly loving men is so threatening to the status quo’: why are gay male pop stars being shut out of the music industry?

Not long ago, artists such as Lil Nas X and Olly Alexander were ruling pop. But success has stalled as acts face industry obstacles and rising homophobia. What now?At the turn of the decade, gay male and non-binary pop stars seemed poised to take pop music by storm. Lil Nas X broke out with Old Town Road – which blew up on TikTok, sold about 18.5m copies and remains tied with Shaboozey’s A Bar Song (Tipsy) and Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You as the longest-running No 1 single in US history – and artists such as Sam Smith, Troye Sivan and Olly Alexander from Years & Years were all singing about gay love and sex.But the initial promise has stalled. Lil Nas X’s attempts to build on his smash debut album have fizzled, and he is publicly dealing with mental health issues. In October, Khalid released his first album since being outed by his ex last year but only sold 10,000 copies in the first week in the US. A previous album, 2019’s Free Spirit, sold some 200,000 copie...

Events

3 w. ago Football and concert prices to 'soar' thanks to proposed hikes in policing costs

Industry chiefs are warning that football and music fans will be the ones who end up losing out if plans to make organisers pay more go ahead

Economics