Category: Music

Moonbug Entertainment, the company behind children’s brands like Cocomelon and Blippi, has unveiled a new music company designed to help children’s and family music artists, creators and studios grow their businesses, the company tells Billboard.

Dubbed Big Feelings Music, the new company will provide access to content investment and funding; music and video distribution; music publishing administration and rights management; marketing, playlist strategy and audience development; YouTube growth and monetization, including tools to help unlock incremental revenue; access to Moonbug’s global YouTube network to further expand reach and opportunities; and creative collaborations with Moonbug brands. Additionally, partners will enjoy opportunities to tap into Moonbug’s wider business, including consumer products, live experiences, gaming and brand partnerships.

As noted in a press release, children’s music was one of the largest music categories in the U.S. in 2025, ranked ninth by on-demand audio consumption with 15.7 billion streams generated, according to Luminate’s year-end music report. Video consumption for children’s music is also robust; according to Luminate, CoComelon’s “Wheels on the Bus” was the most streamed music video of 2025 with more than 2 billion on-demand video streams. However, the release adds, “Despite that scale, the category remains comparatively underinvested in by major music companies and platforms.”

“At the same time, a new generation of children’s artists, creators and studios has built passionate audiences online,” the release continues. “Many still lack the distribution, music publishing capabilities, platform relationships and investment needed to reach families at scale.”

Big Feeling Music’s roster at launch includes both established and developing artists and brands, including Snoop Dogg‘s Doggyland (which recently collaborated with Blippi), English Tree TV, Baby Bandstand, Badanamu, Bob Zoom, Lotty Friends, Mooseclumps and more.

“We’ve seen firsthand the challenges artists, creators and studios can face in turning dedicated audiences into sustainable businesses,” said Jon Benoy, managing director of platforms and music at Moonbug Entertainment, in a statement. “We’ve spent years building the distribution, music publishing, video and platform infrastructure behind franchises like CoComelon and Blippi. With Big Feelings Music, we’re opening it up to others so they can focus on creating exceptional music while we help them reach families at scale.”

“Snoop and I created Doggyland with a shared vision of using music to educate, inspire, and help kids feel confident in who they are,” added Claude Brooks, co-creator and executive producer of Doggyland. “Partnering with Big Feelings Music gives us an exciting opportunity to expand that mission, reach even more families around the world, and continue creating music that kids love and parents feel good about.”

Warner Chappell Music is expanding its música mexicana division, appointing Mexico City-based executive Carlos Ruiz as head of the genre, Billboard can exclusively announce Tuesday (Sept. 22).

In the newly expanded role, Ruiz will oversee the publisher’s operations and creative strategy across Mexico and the U.S., reporting to Gustavo Menéndez, president of U.S. Latin and Latin America. L.A.-based Delia Orjuela, head of creative, Mexican music, will report to Ruiz and work alongside WCM’s Mexico and Miami teams.

Ruiz, who has served as managing director of WCM Mexico since 2018, will focus on identifying talent, developing partnerships and expanding opportunities for songwriters working across Mexican and Mexican-influenced music spaces. The publisher’s roster and partnerships include corridos tumbados pioneer Natanael Cano, rapper Alemán, reggaetón mexa artists El Malilla and El Bogeto, as well as Justin Morales, Máxima Ventaja, and Óscar Maydon with his Rico o Muerto label.

“Today, we’re witnessing a watershed moment for the genre, driven by a talented new generation of artists, songwriters, and producers who are creating new sounds and innovative fusions,” Ruiz said in a statement. “It has grown exponentially, evolving from a regional movement into a truly global phenomenon. I’m confident that with Delia’s support in the U.S. and our A&R team in Mexico, we will strengthen our presence in the genre and write many more success stories in the future.”

“It’s no surprise that Mexican music is more popular than ever,” Menéndez added. “Carlos’ promotion is an exciting step in bringing our teams in Mexico and the U.S. even closer together, allowing us to continue supporting and advocating for our songwriters as one unified team. We’ve been committed to the genre for years, and today its reach continues to expand, transcending borders and connecting audiences around the world.”

The move comes as Mexican music continues to accelerate across the U.S. and global markets. According to Luminate’s 2025 midyear report, regional Mexican was the second-fastest-growing U.S. music subgenre during the first half of the year, with consumption up 32.95% year over year. Overall, Latin music generated 59.4 billion U.S. on-demand audio streams during the period, up 7.8% from the first half of 2024.

Mexico also ranked No. 3 globally in total streaming volume in Luminate’s midyear country rankings, with 226 billion combined audio and video streams. IFPI Global Report 2026 subsequently identified Latin America as the fastest-growing recorded-music region in 2025, with revenues increasing 17.1%.

For WCM, the expansion formalizes a “cross-border creative and operational structure to accelerate global momentum,” says the press release, around a genre that extends beyond traditional regional Mexican categories. Corridos tumbados, música mexicana-inflected urban music, Mexican reggaetón and rap have all contributed to the musical style’s broader international profile, creating new demand for publishing, collaboration and rights-management expertise.

Ruiz brings 35 years of music-industry experience to the position. He began his career with Warner Music Group in 1991 and later served as managing director of Peerless-MCM and vp and general manager of Disa Records, overseeing operations in both Mexico and the U.S.

A man has been sentenced to over three years in prison following an investigation by London police that uncovered a counterfeit vinyl operation valued at £1 million ($1.34 million).

On Friday (Sept. 19), Rehan Ahmed, 40, of Southall, west London, was found guilty at the Inner London Crown Court for breaches of artists’ copyright and acquiring and using criminal property. Ahmed received two years and eight months for the copyright breaches and three and a half years for the criminal property charge. Judge Darren Reed ruled that the sentences will run concurrently.

Ahmed led an operation that produced fraudulent vinyl copies of albums by Taylor Swift, Coldplay and Kendrick Lamar among others. Between 2017 and 2024, Ahmed generated an estimated £2,743,000 in profit from the operation, as revealed by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at the City of London Police.

The counterfeit records were produced and distributed from a unit in Acton, west London, operating under the name “Phoenix of Vinyl.” Search warrants executed in February 2024 led to the seizure of 2,791 vinyl records alongside lacquers and pressing equipment. The illicit goods were sold on online marketplaces such as eBay and Discogs, infringing on the copyrights of 108 artists.

The case was referred to PIPCU by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and represents the largest seizure of its kind in the U.K. Officers seized 18 tonnes of evidence, including four vinyl pressing machines — each roughly 70 years old — along with thousands of sleeves and centre labels.

The vinyl market continues to play a growing part in music consumption in the U.K., with 7.6m units sold in 2025, as per the BPI. That marks an increase of 13.3% year on year, and is the 18th consecutive year of growth since 2008.

Peter Ratcliffe, the BPI’s director of content protection, said: “This conviction is hugely significant, and we thank our partners in this investigation, PIPCU and our label members, for their valued efforts over many months to bring about this welcome outcome.  Sadly, it won’t return the tens of millions of pounds that we estimate have been leeched from artists, the record labels that support them, and the retail community that sells their music, but at least this major criminal operation has now been closed down and it sends a clear signal to other counterfeiters who are exploiting music that we are coming after them.”

Ha*Ash is gearing up to hit the road again with No Me Hablen de Amor – Gira 2027, a tour spanning 18 cities across the U.S. and Canada. The trek kicks off on April 20 in Toronto, Billboard can announce exclusively on Monday (Sept. 21).

Promoted by Live Nation, the new tour from the popular duo made up of sisters Hanna and Ashley will stop in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Houston and New York, among others, before wrapping up on May 22 in Miami.

It follows their 2024-25 HAASHVILLE tour, which sold over 66,000 tickets and featured 16 sold-out shows across the U.S. and Canada, according to a press release from Live Nation.

“After everything we experienced with HAASHVILLE, we couldn’t wait to be back with our fans,” Ha*Ash said in a statement. “This tour represents a new chapter for us, with new songs, plenty of stories and, of course, all those songs we’ve been singing together for so many years.”

“It’s called No Me Hablen de Amor… although you already know we’ll probably end up talking, and singing about love all night long,” they added.

Tickets for the new tour will be available through a Citi presale starting Tuesday (Sept. 22) at 10 a.m. local time. For more details, click here. The general sale begins on Friday (Sept. 25) at 10 a.m. local time on the Live Nation website.

The announcement comes during a new creative phase for Hanna and Ashley. This year, the duo released the singles “Si Me Hubieras Llamado Ayer” and “¿Qué Le Pongo?”, exploring different sides of heartbreak, from learning to let go and start anew to the emotions that surface when someone from the past unexpectedly returns.

In 2025, Ha*Ash received the Unbreakable Award at the Billboard Latin Women in Music ceremony, celebrating two decades of artistic career as a sister duo that may now be more relevant than ever.

Below are all the announced dates for Ha*Ash’s No Me Hablen de Amor – Gira 2027:

*No es fecha Live Nation

An all-star lineup of Australian and international artists gathered in Melbourne on Sunday (Sept. 20) to honor John Farnham, the Australian music icon behind “You’re the Voice,” at a star-studded tribute concert at Rod Laver Arena.

Billed as The Songs of John Farnham: A Living Legend – The Celebration Concert, the one-off event drew more than 120 performers, a 38-piece orchestra and the John Farnham Band before a capacity crowd, with proceeds going to Head and Neck Cancer Australia. The concert launched the organization’s year-long Lend Your Voice campaign, aiming to raise $1 million for the charity that supported Farnham through his own cancer treatment since 2022. Emcee Richard Wilkins noted that Farnham has played the venue in a record 94 sold-out shows over his career — “so I guess tonight makes it 95,” he told the crowd.

Farnham, 77, did not attend. In a statement, his wife, Jill, and sons Robert and James confirmed his health had “deteriorated in recent months,” noting he now requires continuous oxygen support, uses a wheelchair and receives “24-hour nursing care at home.” The family said that while Farnham had been “deeply moved” by the tribute, they had decided it was best for him to remain at home “where he can be safe and comfortable.”

The concert doubled as a celebration of the 40th anniversary of “You’re the Voice,” released in September 1986. Celine Dion performed the anthem via satellite from Paris, recalling that she had once sung it as a duet with Farnham during a Melbourne visit. “John, you’ve always been such a deep inspiration to me; I always loved to hear you sing,” she said.

Coldplay‘s Chris Martin, a surprise addition, appeared via satellite with an original song written for the occasion, “A Better Singer Than Me.” “One day we’ll all be gone,” Martin sang, “but the thing about John Farnham songs is, they’ll keep living on.” Keith Urban flew in from Nashville to perform “Burn for You,” while Hugh Jackman appeared via satellite with “Talk of the Town,” calling Farnham the reason “the entertainer I am” exists.

The homegrown bill was equally deep, co-headlined by Jimmy Barnes, Tina Arena, Kate Ceberano, Jon Stevens, Jessica Mauboy, Vanessa Amorosi and Richard Marx, working through a catalog of Farnham hits. The night also revisited Farnham’s celebrated turn as Jesus in the 1992 Australian arena production of Jesus Christ Superstar, with Stevens and Ceberano — his former co-stars — reuniting on “Everything’s Alright.”

Farnham remains one of the most successful artists in Australian history. His 1986 solo album Whispering Jack spent 25 weeks at No. 1 on the Australian chart, was certified 24-times platinum and stands as the highest-selling album ever by a domestic artist in the country. Its lead single “You’re the Voice” topped the charts in Australia, Sweden and Germany and reached the UK top 10, becoming an enduring anthem later covered by artists worldwide — most recently by the Jonas Brothers at the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia this month.

Farnham followed it with the No. 1 Australian albums Age of Reason (1988) and Chain Reaction (1990), and is the only Australian artist to score No. 1 records across five consecutive decades.

An eight-time ARIA Award winner and ARIA Hall of Fame inductee, he was named Australian of the Year in 1987. In May, Farnham confirmed that the surgeries from his cancer treatment had ended his singing career, saying performing onstage was “just not possible” anymore.

The Weeknd has debuted an unreleased new song that samples one of the most iconic pieces of music in anime history, premiering the track live at the opening of the Asian leg of his After Hours Til Dawn tour.

Performing Friday (Sept. 19) at Belluna Dome in Saitama, near Tokyo, the singer — real name Abel Tesfaye — gave the song its live debut alongside Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi. The track, dubbed “Tokyo,” incorporates elements of “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” the 1995 J-pop song Takahashi recorded as the opening theme to the landmark anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion.

During the segment, Takahashi also performed “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” in full as Tesfaye stepped back and watched from the rear of the stage.

The performance was staged as a full multimedia collaboration. The accompanying visuals were directed by Yoko Taro, the creative director behind the NieR video game series, and drew on imagery from both Neon Genesis Evangelion and 2017’s NieR: Automata. Tesfaye credited the piece on social media only as “Presented by YOKO TARO ft. YOKO TAKAHASHI.”

It’s the second unreleased, city-linked song Tesfaye has unveiled on the current tour. In April, he debuted a track dubbed “Rio” with Brazilian star Anitta during a show in Rio de Janeiro, accompanied by an animated film directed by Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike. The steady stream of new material is notable given that Tesfaye had repeatedly signaled he intended to retire the Weeknd name after his 2025 album Hurry Up Tomorrow, which completed a trilogy begun with After Hours (2020) and Dawn FM (2022).

He has since reversed course, and pointedly. “I’ll never disappear. I love this too much to ever disappear,” he told a Stockholm crowd last month. “I tested retirement a little bit, and I don’t like the way it feels. Imma be here forever with you.” He reiterated the sentiment to GQ Hong Kong this week: “I had a glimpse of what retirement looks like, and it isn’t for me… There’s nothing else like this job.”

The After Hours Til Dawn tour, which launched in 2022, has become the highest-grossing tour by a male solo artist in history. The Asian run continues to Jakarta on Sept. 26-27, followed by Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok and Hong Kong, before concluding in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 4. One of the most commercially dominant artists of the streaming era, the Weeknd has notched five No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 — Beauty Behind the Madness (2015), Starboy (2016), the My Dear Melancholy EP (2018), After Hours (2020) and Hurry Up Tomorrow, which posted his biggest sales week to date with 490,500 units. His Hot 100 No. 1s include “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Starboy,” “Heartless,” “Save Your Tears” and “Blinding Lights,” the last of which Billboard named the No. 1 song on its all-time Hot 100 chart.