DistroKid has launched a new direct-to-fan platform that will allow artists to quickly create custom merch, the DIY distributor announced on Wednesday (Oct. 29).
Called Direct, the platform will allow artists to transform the artwork from their albums and singles into custom t-shirts, tote bags and mugs that can be produced on demand and shipped to fans across the globe. Artists will have the ability to set their own prices and keep 100% of their earnings from the sales; DistroKid says it will not charge shipping fees and will replace lost or damaged items for free.
Related
DistroKid Acquires Music Web Platform Bandzoogle
Sia Divorce Escalates Into Custody Battle, With Claims of Drug Addiction and Child Pornography
LeAnn Rimes On Her Three-Decade Touring Career: ‘Pretty Much Nothing Embarrasses Me Onstage’
Direct is currently rolling out in beta with a select group of artists, but will expand wider in the coming weeks.
“Direct is one more way DistroKid helps artists at every step — before, during, and after they release music,” said Matthew Ogle, DistroKid’s chief product officer. “We’re building simple tools that let artists share what they create, from music to merch and beyond, and connect directly with the people who care about them most.”
Built on technology infrastructure developed by direct-to-fan platform Bandzoogle, which DistroKid acquired in 2023, Direct will be available to DistroKid artists for under $6 a month. In the future, artists will be able to choose from additional merch options and be offered new ways to interact with their fans.
DistroKid claims to distribute 30% to 40% of all new music globally and says it has a user base of more than 2 million artists.
Warner Music Italy is celebrating its 50th anniversary by launching two new frontline labels: say ciao to Warner Records Italy and Atlantic Records Italy.
In its announcement, the company described the expansion as a strategic evolution designed to build more agile, focused teams that better support both established and emerging artists.
Related
Executive Turntable: Avatar Concert Startup Staffs Up, Plus Spinnin’ Expats Become Fluent
Sia Divorce Escalates Into Custody Battle, With Claims of Drug Addiction and Child Pornography
LeAnn Rimes On Her Three-Decade Touring Career: ‘Pretty Much Nothing Embarrasses Me Onstage’
Eleonora Rubini will lead Warner Records Italy as label director, with Leonardo Luan heading A&R, Ruth Hagos as senior A&R urban, Anna Rampinelli as head of marketing, and Sara Daniele as head of promotions. Atlantic Records Italy will be led by Marco Masoli, backed by Filippo Gimigliano as head of A&R, Riccardo Primavera as senior A&R urban, Gianluca Covezzi in marketing, and Eleonora Bruno in promotions. Both labels will have dedicated digital, international, and domestic project managers, reporting to vp Gianluca Guido and president Pico Cibelli.
ADA Italy will continue handling distribution and artist services, now under Renato Tanchis, who reports to Masoli. ADA also announced a new exclusive partnership with Andrea Comi (Attica Music) and Davide D’Aquino (Triggger), who is leaving ADA to focus on scouting and development under the WEA Music Italy brand.
“As we celebrate WM Italy’s 50th anniversary, these changes will set up WM Italy for its next chapter,” said Cibelli. “The launch of Warner Records Italy and Atlantic Records Italy is an evolution that strengthens our ability to superserve our artists and connect audiences old and new all over the world. I have immense confidence in Eleonora, Marco, Renato, and their teams to drive our next era of growth and success.”
Related
Billboard Touring Power Players: 2025 List Revealed
Rubini said the move allows for “a more focused approach to artist development,” creating an environment that supports both established acts and rising talent. Masoli added that the goal is to build “a home where creativity thrives and our artists can reach their full potential on the world stage.”
Italy’s music market continues to expand, with recorded music revenues surpassing 440 million euros in 2023 — up 18.8% year over year — making it the EU’s third-largest after Germany and France, according to trade org FIMI. Streaming led with 65% of total revenue, while physical formats rose to a 14% share as vinyl sales jumped 24.3% and CDs 3.8%. Growth remained strong in early 2025, also according to FIMI, with total revenues up 9.7% and both streaming and physical segments posting double-digit gains.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
LAFC is bringing K-pop energy to the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs thanks to a new partnership with HYBE, marking the first-ever collaboration between the entertainment giant and Major League Soccer. For soccer and music fans looking to tune in, we’ve compiled everything you need to know to watch the match online as well as how to shop Son Heung-Min LAFC merch.
Tonight’s collaboration honors the deep connection between Los Angeles and South Korea and the Korean culture that plays a major part in the city’s identity. BMO Stadium, LAFC’s home, is no stranger to Korean culture, as the venue has quickly become a staple location of major K-pop tours. Most recently, SEVENTEEN played two shows at BMO as part of their “NEW_” world tour. As part of the sponsorship, fans can enjoy Korean-inspired eats while enjoying a choreographed light show set to HYBE artist tracks at today’s match.
“We’re honored to be chosen as HYBE’s first Major League Soccer partner. At LAFC, we know the power of passionate fan culture, and HYBE shares that same energy and commitment,” says LAFC Co-President Larry Freedman.
LAFC shared an announcement last week across social media with a video cut to BTS’ 2017 hit “MIC Drop,” a track that got the group their first track to reach the top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Keep scrolling to learn how to stream the playoff match online as well as how to shop Son Heung-Min LAFC merch online.
How to Watch the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs
Kicking off on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 P.M. PT, the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs matches can be streamed via the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV in the US. Earlier this month, Sports Business Journal revealed that MLS and Apple are offering the league’s playoff matches to Apple TV subscribers at no additional cost.
Also, last minute tickets to the game are also available on Ticketmaster and VividSeats.
How to Shop Son Heung-Min LAFC Merch Online
Since joining the MLS this past August, LAFC star player Son Heung-Min has become a fan favorite in his home of South Korea but also in the states. After scoring his first MLS goal earlier this season, fans have voted the special moment as the MLS Goal of the Year. With his rise in popularity, Heung-Min soccer kits have been flying off the shelves this season.
Finding his home kit may be hard to come by, but there are plenty of alternative merch, including pre game kits (with options both in English and Korean), graphic tees and more worth shopping ahead of the playoffs. See below.
Men’s LAFC Son Heung-Min adidas Black Alternate Pre-Game Jersey
Sia and her estranged husband are fighting over custody of their child amid divorce proceedings — and the allegations are getting ugly.
David Bernad, an oncologist who married Sia at the end of 2022, claims in a Monday (Oct. 27) court filing that the pop star is a drug addict who cannot adequately care for their 19-month-old son, Somersault. In a Tuesday (Oct. 28) response, Sia reveals that Bernad was recently under investigation for alleged possession of child pornography.
Related
Sia’s Estranged Husband Wants $260,000 Per Month to Maintain ‘Upper-Class Lifestyle’
Charlie Puth Joining Anitta, Chris Martin & More on Brazil’s Global Citizen Festival Amazônia Lineup: ‘Such an Important Cause for Our Planet’
Sphere’s ‘Wizard of Oz’ Hits New Box Office Milestone
The claims come in California divorce proceedings, which Sia initiated this past March due to “irreconcilable differences.” Bernad has since been seeking hefty spousal support from Sia, and his request for more than $250,000 a month is set for a hearing in January.
Now, Bernad is asking for full custody of Somersault (referred to by the nickname “Summi” in court documents). He alleges in the Monday filing that Sia, who has been open about her past struggles with drug addiction, is once again using.
“Sia is an unfit and unreliable parent struggling with substance abuse and addiction, rendering her incapable of providing safe or stable care for Summi,” writes Bernad in a declaration. “I am the only safe and reliable parent for our son. I am a doctor, young, healthy, and have no criminal history or drug or alcohol addiction issues.”
Related
Sia Privately Had a Third Child Named Somersault With Her Estranged Husband
Bernad says he witnessed Sia abuse ketamine and opioids during their marriage, and he claims doctors found barbiturates and benzodiazepines in her system during a hospital stay last month. He says Sia should have supervised visits with Summi, and only after she’s undergone a breathalyzer test. Bernad also wants the singer to submit to random drug testing and pay him $77,000 per month in child support.
Sia, however, counters in her Tuesday court filing that she has been “fully sober for over six months” and remains committed to recovery. She says Bernad is actually the one who parties and uses recreational drugs, and that this is one of the main reasons she chose to divorce him.
“Dan’s attempt to weaponize my past sobriety journey — an issue long resolved and well-documented — serves no legitimate purpose and is intended only to distort the facts and undermine my credibility before this court,” writes Sia in a declaration. “His willingness to dredge up decades-old history to serve his own financial and strategic interests demonstrates the extent to which he will go, even at the expense of his child and the child’s mother.”
Related
Halle Bailey & DDG Settle Custody Battle, Drop Domestic Violence Claims — for Now
Sia says Summi should remain in her primary custody, as has been the case since this summer. According to the court filings, Bernad agreed to this arrangement — including a stipulation that his own visits be supervised — because he was under investigation for alleged child pornography found on his computer hard drive in July.
Bernad “vehemently” denies any wrongdoing and claims Sia “planted” this illicit material on his hard drive. The Los Angeles Police Department and the city’s Department of Child and Family Services both looked into the claims but closed their investigations without any charges, citing a lack of evidence.
Nonetheless, Sia says she’s still not comfortable with Bernad spending unsupervised time with Summi. She says Bernad is not prepared to care for Summi by himself because he was an absentee parent during their marriage, often jetting overseas “at a moment’s notice.”
Sia’s lawyer declined to comment on the proceedings on Tuesday. A rep for Bernad did not immediately return a request for comment.
If there were a pop version of the Avengers, we think Ariana Grande‘s trio of early mentors would all be included.
On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are chatting about Ari kicking off the Wicked: For Good press tour by sitting down with Evan Ross Katz on his Shut Up Evan podcast. In the 45-minute-plus conversation, Katz asks what Grande’s relationship is with mentorship — and that’s when she shouts out the impressive triumvirate of pop superstars.
Related
Ariana Grande Says Madonna & Beyoncé Were First to Reach Out After She Got Famous: ‘It Made Me Feel Safe’
Inside Charlie Puth’s Final Blue Note L.A. Show: Why He’s Making All the Right ‘Changes’ in This New Era
How Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan & Sabrina Carpenter Are Maximizing Their Tours With Smart Pop Tactics
There’s Madonna, who was “immediately very kind,” Grande said. Then there’s Beyoncé, who invited Ari to join her on a music video set early in her career (“she just was being kind”). Then there’s Mariah Carey — because “of course, Mariah.”
Listen to our full conversation about Grande’s first interview of the press tour for the Nov. 21 movie musical below.
Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Olivia Dean and Leon Thomas both get their first top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, while Tame Impala’s latest album debuts in the top five on the Billboard 200 and at No. 1 on six more charts.
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)
Drake and online streamer Adin Ross are facing a class action lawsuit accusing them of promoting illegal gambling by endorsing the online sweepstake casino Stake.
In a case filed Monday (Oct. 27), lawyers for a Missouri man say Drake, Ross and Stake engaged in “deceptive, fraudulent and unfair” practices in the state — and that Champagne Papi used his massive celebrity to “encourage impressionable users to gamble.”
Related
Here’s Why Drake Lost His Lawsuit Over Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’
Charlie Puth Joining Anitta, Chris Martin & More on Brazil’s Global Citizen Festival Amazônia Lineup: ‘Such an Important Cause for Our Planet’
Sphere’s ‘Wizard of Oz’ Hits New Box Office Milestone
“Drake’s role as Stake’s unofficial mascot is quietly corrosive — he’s glamorizing the platform to millions of impressionable fans, many of whom treat his wild betting habits like gospel,” write lawyers for plaintiff Justin Killham.
Stake is a so-called sweepstakes casino that operates on a “dual currency” system, which critics say is designed to evade gambling regulations. Such platforms sell “gold coins” that they claim are purely for entertainment, then offer separate free “sweeps coins” that can be redeemed for cash, meaning neither constitutes full-fledged gambling. California, New Jersey and other states have moved to rein in the practice, either with new legislation or beefed-up enforcement of existing state gambling laws.
The case filed Monday claims that Stake, a Curaçao-based livestream gambling platform, violated Missouri’s gambling laws with that kind of system. The site tried to mislead consumers, the lawsuit claims, “into believing it offers harmless gameplay instead of an unlawful gambling platform.”
Related
Cam’ron Sues J. Cole Over ‘Ready ’24’ Collab, Saying He Failed to Fulfill His End of the Deal
The complaint also claims that the company paid Drake and Ross millions to promote that illegal operation. But lawyers for the plaintiffs say the stars have done so under “deeply fraudulent pretenses,” including fronting the stars’ “house money” to risk.
“When Ross and Drake purport to gamble online with Stake.com, they often do not do so with their own money despite telling the public in Missouri and elsewhere the opposite,” Killham’s lawyers write. “Stake’s and Drake’s and Ross’s conduct here threatens the welfare of Missouri residents and especially its young people.”
Representatives for Drake and Stake did not return Billboard‘s requests for comment by press time. A representative for Ross could not immediately be located.
