From GMR’s Jeff Toig to streaming’s quarter of a billion tracks … it’s MBW’s weekly round-up

This week, Irving Azoff‘s International Music Rights introduced Jeff Toig as its new CEO, with co-founder Randy Grimmett turning into Govt Chairman.

In the meantime, there have been 253 million music tracks sitting on audio streaming providers on the shut of 2025, in response to new knowledge from Luminate.

Elsewhere, Spotify raised its Premium subscription costs within the US and different markets, with the US Particular person Premium tier growing from $11.99 to $12.99 beginning in February 2026.

Additionally this week, TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson exited her function, transitioning to a Strategic Advisor place at father or mother firm Imagine.

Listed below are among the largest headlines from the previous few days…

1. JEFF TOIG NAMED CEO AT IRVING AZOFF’S GMR, AS CO-FOUNDER RANDY GRIMMETT BECOMES EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN

International Music Rights, Irving Azoff’s $3.3 billion-valued PRO, has a brand new CEO. Jeff Toig, beforehand Chief Enterprise Officer at GMR, has been promoted to the Chief Govt Officer place on the US-headquartered Performing Rights group.

He succeeds Randy Grimmett, GMR’s co-founder, who has been elevated to Govt Chairman. The management change arrives simply over 12 months after the corporate struck a take care of personal fairness agency Hellman & Friedman that valued GMR at USD $3.3 billion… (MBW)

2. MUSIC STREAMING PLATFORMS NOW HOST QUARTER OF A BILLION TRACKS. WHERE DOES IT END?

There have been 253 million music tracks sitting on audio streaming providers on the shut of 2025.

Yep: over quarter of a billion. Some milestone.

In response to new knowledge from Luminate’s new annual report, that was up by 37.9 million tracks YoY – a median of 106,000 uploads per day… (MBW)

3. SPOTIFY HIKES PRICE FOR PREMIUM SUBSCRIBERS IN THE US, OTHER MARKETS

Spotify is elevating costs for Premium subscribers in the US, Estonia, and Latvia.

The streaming large is notifying customers this month that month-to-month subscription prices will improve beginning in February 2026. Within the US, month-to-month subscription prices will rise from $11.99 to $12.99.

The value adjustment comes roughly 18 months after Spotify’s earlier US worth hike in July 2024, when the Premium tier elevated from $10.99 to $11.99… (MBW)

4. TUNECORE CEO ANDREEA GLEESON EXITS, MOVES TO STRATEGIC ADVISOR POSITION AT PARENT COMPANY BELIEVE

There’s been a big management shakeup on the Imagine-owned distribution firm, TuneCore. Andreea Gleeson has revealed in an inside memo to workers, obtained by MBW, that she’ll be exiting her function as CEO of TuneCore, and shifting to a Strategic Advisor place at father or mother firm Imagine.

“After ten years at TuneCore, and with the corporate well-positioned for continued success, Imagine and I’ve mutually agreed that the time is correct for me to transition,” stated Gleeson within the notice despatched out on Wednesday (January 14).

The chief added within the memo that “Imagine and I checked out what the longer term requires and agreed the most effective path is for me to help Imagine’s government staff in an advisory capability to proceed constructing the place I can have the best affect.”… (MBW)

5. IN LANDMARK TERMINATION RIGHTS RULING, APPEALS COURT SAYS SONGWRITERS CAN RECLAIM GLOBAL COPYRIGHTS UNDER US LAW

A federal appeals court docket dominated on Monday (January 12) that songwriters can use US copyright regulation to reclaim their songs worldwide, not simply within the US, a choice that would change how the music business handles decades-old agreements between songwriters and publishers.

The US Courtroom of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a decrease court docket’s determination permitting songwriter Cyril Vetter to take again full international management of Double Shot (Of My Child’s Love), a 1963 rock track, from writer Resnik Music Group.

The three-judge panel affirmed an earlier ruling that Vetter and Vetter Communications Company are the only worldwide house owners of the copyright. The choice facilities on “termination rights,” a provision in copyright regulation that lets songwriters reclaim songs they offered off years earlier… (MBW)