Your Daily Drop April 16th
🎶 Music Industry Highlights
🎤 Coachella 2025: A Festival of Surprises
Billie Eilish, Troye Sivan, and Lorde joined Charli XCX on stage, while Maren Morris collaborated with Zedd and the LA Philharmonic. Queen Latifah and Brian May also made appearances, capping off a weekend of unexpected pairings.
👉 Read via People
🏆 SOCAN Celebrates 100 Years
The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada will honor Francophone creators at Gala SOCAN in Montréal on May 4 — recognizing 100 years of Canadian music rights advocacy.
👉 Newswire coverage
🎸 Remembering Les Binks
Former Judas Priest drummer Les Binks has died at 73. He played on the band’s late ‘70s albums and helped define their early metal sound.
👉 More via A Journal of Musical Things
💻 Tech & Innovation
🤖 Google Launches AI Music Generator
Now integrated into its Vertex AI platform, Google’s new tool lets users generate music using prompts — signaling further expansion into automated creativity for soundtracks and digital content.
👉 TechCrunch article
🎨 AI-Powered Anime Video by Kelly Yu
Pop singer Kelly Yu has dropped the world’s first fully AI-generated anime music video for her track “Werewolf,” produced with CreateAI. The clip blends generative visuals with music storytelling.
👉 Details from TechNode
🎮 Gaming x Music
🕹️ April’s Music-Driven Game Drops
Three new titles stand out for their sound design and musical integration:
South of Midnight: Folklore-meets-music adventure set in the Deep South
The Renovator: Origins: Psychological horror with atmospheric scoring
Driveloop: Survivors: A roguelike driving game where the soundtrack shifts dynamically with your gameplay
👉 Full list on GameSpot
📺 Streaming News
🎧 Ultra International Rebrands After Legal Battle
Ultra International Music Publishing is now Payday Music Publishing, following a trademark dispute with Sony. The company is planning writing camps and creative launches under its new name.
👉 Read on Music Ally
📀 Reviving Classic Albums for the Charts
Labels are bundling merch, reissuing vinyl, and timing flash sales to boost older albums back onto the charts — part strategy, part nostalgia play.
👉 NPR piece via KUAF
🎵 Spotify and Warner Ink Multi-Year Deal
Spotify has signed a new agreement with Warner Music Group that expands licensing and hints at upcoming features like a HiFi "deluxe" tier. It also streamlines payments through Warner Chappell, potentially improving artist royalty flows.
👉 More from The Verge