The Red Hot Chili Peppers has sold its recorded music catalog to Warner Music Group (WMG) for more than $300 million, a source confirms with Billboard. The company purchased the catalog via its $1.2 billion joint venture with Bain Capital, which is aimed at acquiring both recorded music and publishing rights.

Billboard was first to report that the Chili Peppers was shopping its recorded catalog in February 2025, with sources saying the band was seeking up to $350 million. At the time, some sources told Billboard a deal had already been reached, and that WMG was the most likely buyer, but money hadn’t yet changed hands. 

Sources previously told Billboard the band owns its 13 studio albums and other releases issued by WMG in the U.S., but Billboard couldn’t determine if it owned its first four studio albums (also part of the sale) released by EMI in the U.S. It’s also unclear if the deal includes name, image and likeness rights for the band. 

The Hollywood Reporter first reported news of the sale finally being executed on Friday (May 8), after WMG announced it had acquired $650 million in recorded music and publishing catalogs via the Bain joint venture so far.

According to Billboard estimates published last year, the Red Hot Chili Peppers master recording catalog generates about $26 million in revenue annually, with the majority of that coming from WMG’s part of the catalog, including such smash albums as Blood Sugar Sex Magik and Californication.

News of the sale to WMG comes five years after the band sold its music publishing catalog to Hipgnosis for between $140 million and $150 million. The publishing assets and recorded music catalog were both shopped by law firm Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobster Younger & Light, according to sources.

WMG declined to comment. Eric Greenspan, the lawyer who had been shopping the Red Hot Chili Peppers deal, didn’t respond to a request for comment by press time.

The members of NewJeans and their label partners have been sued in the U.S. over purported similarities between their hit 2024 track “How Sweet” and an outside demo submitted during the songwriting process.  

The Thursday (May 7) lawsuit, obtained and first reported by Billboard, lodges copyright infringement claims against NewJeans’ label ADOR, its parent company HYBE and performers Minji, Hanni, Haerin, Hyein and Danielle. The five women were part of NewJeans beginning in 2022, though Danielle recently departed amid a contract dispute between the powerhouse K-pop girl group and ADOR.

NewJeans released “How Sweet” in May 2024 on an EP of the same name. The song went on to peak at No. 15 on the Billboard Global 200 and No. 7 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart. Four songwriters are now alleging that the track copied key elements from their demo “One of a Kind.”

According to the lawsuit, songwriter Audrey Armacost was sent an instrumental track by her publisher in January 2024 and invited to submit topline lyrics and melody for consideration by NewJeans. Armacost convened with three other writers — Aidan Rodriguez, Adam Gokcebay and Michael Campanelli — and together, they say they wrote and recorded “One of a Kind” over that instrumental.

The four writers say they sent “One of a Kind” along to NewJeans, but were told it was not selected. Yet when “How Sweet” was released four months later, the lawsuit claims the song’s first verse was “quantitatively and qualitatively similar” to the first verse in “One of a Kind.”

“Both works are in 4/4 meter and the key of B flat minor,” reads the legal complaint. “And both works contain a topline that includes an approximately eight-bar, 31-note melodic sequence consisting of four series.”

Armacost, Rodriguez, Gokcebay and Campanelli allege HYBE, ADOR, the NewJeans members, and a host of other collaborators and distributors violated their rights by failing to license the “One of a Kind” demo. Through the lawsuit, the four songwriters are seeking a cut of the royalties from the “great commercial success” of “How Sweet.”

“Plaintiffs, as joint authors and co-owners of the composition of ‘How Sweet,’ are entitled to their pro rata share of the profits that defendants have each gained from the exploitation of ‘How Sweet,’” the complaint reads.

A lawyer for the four writers, Trevor Barrett, said in a Friday (May 8) statement to Billboard, “Adam, Aidan, Audrey and Michael are accomplished songwriters who were deeply disappointed to discover this blatant copying of their original song, ‘One of a Kind,’ in New Jeans’ ‘How Sweet.’ They look forward to having their rights acknowledged and vindicated via this lawsuit.”

Reps from HYBE did not immediately return a request for comment on the claims.

The new lawsuit comes in the midst of an ongoing reconciliation between some members of NewJeans and ADOR following a protracted legal battle of their own.

In 2024, all five original NewJeans members attempted to sever ties with the HYBE subsidiary and go independent under the new moniker NJZ following the controversial firing of their mentor, former ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin. This led to a lawsuit, and ADOR ultimately prevailed when a a South Korean court ruled in October that the women must remain under an exclusive contract until 2029.

In the wake of that ruling, Hanni, Haerin and Hyein all decided to return to ADOR and resume working with the label. Danielle will not be part of NewJeans’ future; ADOR announced in December that they label had dropped her from the group and alleged that a member of her family bears “significant responsibility for causing this dispute.” Minji is still negotiating a possible return, and The Korea Herald reported this week that discussions are moving in a “positive direction.”

When gearing up for the follow-up to his breakout album Stick Season, Noah Kahan and his team knew there was a lot riding on the project. “Expectations were otherworldly, and pressure was palpable,” says his manager, Drew Simmons at Foundations.

But that new album, The Great Divide, has met and exceeded those expectations: Following its release on April 30, the set flew to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 389,000 equivalent album units, making it Kahan’s first chart-topper and best week ever. What’s more, The Great Divide’s debut marked the third-biggest week for any artist of the year, the biggest week for a rock album since 2014, the largest streaming week for any album this year and, at 118,000 vinyl units, the biggest vinyl sales week for a rock album in the modern era, dating to 1991.

The album, which was preceded by a Netflix documentary and will be followed by a stadium headlining tour, is a big moment for Kahan. After nearly a decade signed to Republic Records (he is now on REPUBLIC’s Mercury Records), his breakout moment finally arrived in 2024, when the single “Stick Season” climbed all the way to the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10, peaking at No. 9. With this new project, Kahan bested that mark — the title track has reached No. 6 — on the way to landing all of the album’s 21 tracks on the chart, making him just the 13th artist to chart that many tracks there simultaneously.

And now, it helps Simmons earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week. Here, he talks about the album’s massive debut, the work that went into the rollout and how the team came through amid the massive expectations and pressure that existed following Kahan’s big break. “Everything we do as a team filters through the question: What makes for the best fan experience?” Simmons says. “Noah and his team care deeply about their fans, treating them like friends and bringing them along with genuine, consistent attention throughout the rollout.”

This week, Noah Kahan’s The Great Divide debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 389,000 equivalent album units, the biggest week for an album classified as rock since 2014 and the biggest streaming week for any album of this year. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?

Noah made a brilliant record — everything starts with the music. The demand we built throughout the rollout was driven by the strength of what was teased and Noah’s ability to connect with his audience. Behind it were years of thoughtful decisions from the core team, from assembling the creative team to giving Noah the space to step back and live life.

Key moments of the campaign included revealing the first single just before the Grammys and debuting the video during the broadcast, thanks to Mastercard. The Netflix documentary, Noah Kahan: Out of Body, captured the end of the Stick Season touring cycle and the transition into making The Great Divide. We set out to chronicle that journey and it resulted in an honest look at Noah’s relationships with family, friends and his community. Directed by Nick Sweeney, it premiered 11 days before the album and helped contextualize the project.

Across Foundations and Mercury Records, there is an amazingly supportive and talented group of people weighing in on decisions, all focused around what serves Noah and his art most sincerely. As a team, we were intentional about creating the perfect storm around this release and building momentum — sharing songs live and on socials while developing a visual world that matched the introspective lyrics and strong sense of place created by Noah. Everything we do as a team filters through the question: What makes for the best fan experience? Noah and his team care deeply about their fans, treating them like friends and bringing them along with genuine, consistent attention throughout the rollout.

Some notable members of the creative team are producers Gabe Simon and Aaron Dessner and collaborators Carrie K, Sam Westhoff, Noah Levine, Dylan Jones, Nina Devitri, Todd Clark and Amy Allen, mixer Ryan Hewitt and creative director Mikey Laviolette at Without Contrast.

This is Noah’s first No. 1 album, and his first project since “Stick Season” became a global phenomenon. How did you approach this album differently given the success of the last one?

Expectations were otherworldly, and pressure was palpable. Although it is Noah’s fourth album, The Great Divide is effectively his sophomore release given how much his world changed through Stick Season. There were many challenging hurdles along the way, but we kept reminding ourselves that we need to trust our instincts, continue to be ourselves and pursue the songs that genuinely moved us emotionally. At times, it was a grind in the studio, and at moments we had to step away to allow the creative process space. Patience was key, and our belief in Noah’s ability never wavered.  

Noah’s 118,000 vinyl sales are also the best sales week on vinyl for a rock album in the modern era. With eight vinyl variants available, what was your physical release strategy for the album?

The sales were driven by a deep relationship between Noah and his audience. It’s mostly a reflection of how invested fans are in Noah’s music and him as a meaningful artist. All the variants were themed as extensions of the album details. We wanted to offer an intentional and meaningful variety, and made a point to share offerings with his longtime fans first. 

How did that Netflix documentary help introduce this release to fans, and how has it helped Noah tell his story?

The documentary was one of the cornerstones of our rollout. Noah is a beautifully articulate narrator and such a sincere, funny and humble person. Through the documentary, we wanted to offer insight into Noah’s unique and charismatic perspective. We worked with the team at Radical Films — Dave Sirulnick, Samantha Mustari and Stacey Reiss — over a three-year period of time, capturing Noah’s life. On the management side, Noah’s operations manager, Ryan Langlois, was the engine behind this process. 

Noah was incredibly brave in exposing some of his most personal vulnerabilities. It takes a caring and compassionate person to reveal their biggest struggles for the world to see, simply in the hope that it will help viewers feel seen and help someone know that the challenges they face are human. 

Noah is about to embark on his first stadium tour, which sold out, just three years after he was on the road as an opening act. How do you help manage a career that has blown up so quickly?

I have been working with Noah for 12 years. The first eight years of development helped him gain experience on stage and navigate the trials of touring. Even with a solid base to build on, nothing can fully prepare someone for the new reality that comes with fame and demand. Artists can be the best versions of themselves when they have trusting, caring and empathetic support around them. Having a capable and experienced community helps to minimize some of the challenges brought about by taking leaps forward in scale. When we don’t have the direct experience to solve a growth issue, we bring in people that have been through it before and seek their guidance. For me, having the community of my team at Foundations to troubleshoot with has been invaluable.

Noah has been open about his mental health struggles, and has worked as a mental health advocate through his Busyhead project. How have you supported him on that front?

Noah and I launched The Busyhead Project together. It came from his desire to walk the walk of supporting the mental health community. It was a natural evolution and an answer to, “What good can we do with the platform we have?” The Busyhead Project is a career-long and deeply fulfilling endeavor. We set out to try to raise $1 million for mental health, and over three years we now have raised $6.6 million and counting. 

We have an annual golf tournament and concert where 100% of proceeds go to supporting mental health care providers, and we integrate TBP into every ticket sale, every tour experience and every brand deal we do. We commit a lot of time and energy to continuing its growth. We work with partners like Jeb Gutelius and Lindsay Rosenberg at Sailworks to run the operations of TBP, as well as Hilary Gleason at Backline to offer access to care for our community in the music industry. We have big ambitions for the future years of The Busyhead Project and are really proud of what it has become. 

What’s next for Noah in addition to this tour?

Bringing this album to venues around the world, continuing to grow The Busyhead Project and finding new ways to create and expand Noah’s community. 

Sony Music Group reported on Friday (May 8) its sales revenues rose 21% to 570 billion Japanese yen ($3.6 billion) for the quarter ending March 31 compared to a year ago driven by higher recorded music streaming revenue, Bad Bunny and Harry Styles album sales and live events and merchandise.

Operating income for the Japan-based company’s fiscal fourth quarter came in at 132.4 billion yen ($829 million), an increase of more than 36% from last year.

Sales of Bad Bunny’s hit album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, Harry Styles Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally and Tate McRae‘s So Close To What helped the company generated 2,120 billion yen ($13.3 billion) for the fiscal year, which for Sony also ended on March 31, a 15% increase from the prior fiscal year. Higher revenues from streaming services in recorded music and music publishing, live events and merchandising in recorded music helped operating income reach a record high of 447 billion yen ($2.8 billion), an increase of 25%.

Streaming revenue for the full fiscal year grew to 852.7 million yen ($5.4 billion), and to 419.9 million yen ($2.6 billion) in the music publishing division, marking increases of 9% and 14% on a U.S. dollar basis respectively.

The company forecast that revenues will likely hold flat at this level in the coming fiscal year as higher streaming income is expected to offset lower concert revenue, with operating income to come off its record highs by about 11%.

The company flagged big forthcoming releases by Chris Brown, Foo Fighters and Maluma.

South Korea’s HYBE launches ABD, a new label dedicated to girl group production.

Leading ABD, short for A Bold Dream, is its inaugural president Jiwon No, who previously served as head of artist planning at PLEDIS and MORE VISION. At ABD, she will oversee the label’s overall management and strategic direction.

The first ABD project will debut in the second half of 2026. Sung Soo Han, widely recognized as the creative mastermind behind such artists as SEVENTEEN, After School, IZ*ONE, and TWS, will lead the girl group’s overall production, from music to concept and performance.

“The creation of ABD aligns with HYBE’s multi-label strategy, which champions creative independence and autonomy within HYBE’s broader support framework,” reads a statement, issued Friday, May 8. “With a distinct focus on girl group development and the introduction of differentiated IP and artistic identity, the launch of ABD marks a strategic step in strengthening HYBE’s multi-label ecosystem as K-pop continues to evolve globally.”

HYBE is on a high, after reporting record-setting revenue at 698.3 billion KRW ($470.2 million), thanks largely to the comeback of BTS and the group’s fifth studio album, ARIRANG, and world tour.

Within the rest of K-pop specialist’s artist portfolio, ENHYPHEN’s seventh mini album, THE SIN: VANISH, became the group’s fourth double-million seller during the period, while CORTIS’ debut album, COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES, surpassed 2 million copies in cumulative sales.

HYBE America reported strong gains with KATSEYE, the girl group that recently surpassed 32 million monthly listeners on Spotify, while their EPs, SIS (Soft Is Strong) and BEAUTIFUL CHAOS, sold a combined 1 million copies. The quarter also saw the relaunch of BMLG as Blue Highway Records, led by Jake Basden as CEO.

ABD “embodies the label’s creative philosophy of pursuing unconventional, flexible, and playful ideas that push beyond norm,” reads the statement unveiling the new label. “Guided by a deep understanding of both artists and fans, the new label aims to pursue the intrinsic joy of music while exploring new possibilities and expanding the horizons of K-pop.”

Will Smith has won a court order throwing out the sexual harassment lawsuit brought by an electric violinist who performed on his Based on a True Story tour last year.

A court order from Tuesday (May 5), obtained by Billboard, granted Smith’s request to dismiss the claims lodged by Brian King Joseph in December. Joseph, a violinist who came in third place on America’s Got Talent in 2018, alleged he was illegally fired from Smith’s international tour after reporting that someone had broken into his hotel room during a Las Vegas stop and left sexually suggestive materials, along with a note reading, “Brian, I’ll be back.”

Judge Michael Shultz found that while the note was sexual in nature, its existence does not rise to the level of workplace sexual misconduct. The judge also said it’s not reasonable for Joseph to assume without any evidence that Smith or any of his staffers are to blame for this supposed break-in, which they unequivocally deny.

“The allegations do not support a severe and pervasive concerted pattern of harassment sufficient to create an abusive working environment,” reads the court order.

The judge held that these deficiencies doom not only Joseph’s sexual harassment claims, but also his allegations of wrongful termination and retaliation. That’s because, according to the court’s ruling, Joseph hasn’t shown that he was fired as a direct result of reporting something improper in the workplace.

However, the case is not necessarily done for good; Joseph is permitted to try again and rework his lawsuit against Smith if desired. His attorney did not immediately return an inquiry as to whether he plans to make such an amendment.

Reps for Smith also did not return a request for comment on the dismissal ruling. Lawyers for the actor and rapper previously said in court papers that Joseph’s “false and salacious” claims are “untrue, inflammatory, legally baseless, and are nothing but an attempted money grab.”

Late nights. Early mornings. Drugs. Booze. Constant touring. While working in dance music offers its own distinct pleasures, it also comes with these distinct challenges.

Now, mental health and wellness nonprofit Backline has launched a mental health toolkit made specifically for dance artists and other professionals, particularly those who tour. Available for free through the Backline website, the guide offers detailed advice on packing for tour, preparing to be away from loved ones, supporting one’s immune system while on the road, hearing health, sleep optimization, venue safety, substance and much more.

Access the Backline EDM Mental Health Toolkit here.

“Music is therapeutic, but in live electronic it’s also a lot of late nights, early mornings, sets until sunrise and then flying to the next city,” Backline co-founder and executive director Hilary Gleason says in a statement. “Backline is committed to taking care of the artists and community who are so generous with their time and talent, and we designed these tools to meet the EDM scene where they are with specific resources for their unique needs.”

“Seeking help is not something to be ashamed of,” dance legend Armin van Buuren is quoted within the guide itself. “The most important thing is to get rid of the shame. The cave you fear holds the treasure you seek. Ultimately, you can’t escape yourself.”

“We see firsthand how demanding this space can be,” adds LP Giobbi, “and tools like this are essential for empowering artists and industry professionals to look after themselves and each other.”

Backline was co-founded by Gleason in 2019 as a resource to offer support and help for those across the industry. Most recently, the organization created a 24/7 Mental Health and Crisis Support Line that launched in January. This service, B-LINE, has had more than 250 people reach out since its launch. The nonprofit also offers one-on-one case management connecting individuals to vetted providers and wellness resources such as mindfulness and yoga.

The organization reports that since 2019, it has invested $5 million into mental health and wellness in the music industry and served 3,000 people through its Case Management program. 

Warner Music Group (WMG) reported on Thursday (May 7) that first-quarter revenue rose 17% compared to last year on double-digit percentage growth in recorded music and publishing revenues, with major releases from artists including Bruno Mars and sombr contributing to the uptick.

Total revenue came in at $1.7 billion, driven by $1.38 billion in recorded music revenue, up 17%, and $353 million in music publishing, up 14% compared to a year ago. Operating income of $264 million was up 57%, and adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization rose 31% to $397 million.

“After years of doing hard, unsexy, foundational work, after making tough organizational decisions and redesigns and difficult decisions while growing the business, we have now hit our stride,” Warner CEO Robert Kyncl said on a call discussing the results. “It feels great to work hard for years and now have consistent delivery, and it feels great to have confidence about the future.”

Digital revenue rose 16.7% to nearly $1.2 billion across the recorded music and publishing divisions, with streaming revenue rising 17.1%. Recorded music streaming revenue increased 16.5% and music publishing streaming revenue increased 20.0% overall, driven by broad-based growth in recorded music artist services and expanded rights, and physical revenue; along with music publishing synch and mechanical revenue.

Foreign exchange rates had a significant impact on WMG’s earnings, but, while it was detrimental to Universal Music Group’s earnings, the strengthening U.S. dollar resulted in a $22 million gain in the quarter on WMG’s euro-denominated debt. WMG also reported a currency exchange gain on intercompany loans of $12 million in the quarter, versus a $27 million loss in the year-ago quarter. Both contributed to WMG’s profit rising to $181 million from $36 million in the year-ago quarter.

Adjusting WMG’s earnings on a constant currency basis, which strips out foreign currency fluctuations, total revenue rose by 12%, and adjusted OIBDA rose 24%.

In addition to Mars and sombr, first-quarter releases from Alex Warren and Ed Sheeran helped drive recorded music revenue growth up 17.4%, or 12.7% in constant currency. Digital revenue was up nearly 16%, artist services and expanded-rights revenue rose 28.6%, and physical revenue rose 22%.

Music publishing revenue rose nearly 14%, or 9.6% in constant currency, bolstered by a nearly 20% increase across digital and streaming revenue following new publishing deals and renewals. Performance revenue rose nearly 10%, and synchronization revenue edged up $1 million compared to the year-ago quarter.

WMG and Bain have spent $650 million from their joint venture, called Beethoven JV, “to acquire a number of heavyweight … iconic, high-margin catalogs,” WMG’s CFO, Armin Zerza, said on a call with investors.

Zerza said the WMG’s reorganization, first announced in 2023, is helping the company achieve profit margin expansion that is at “the high end” of its target, or around 200 basis points of margin expansion this year. Adjusted OIBDA margin expanded by 2.5 percentage points to 22.9% in the quarter.

“At the same time, we are leading the industry in AI initiatives, which we believe will be a material contributor to our top and bottom line growth, starting in fiscal 2027,” Zerza said.

Earnings highlights:

Jason Derulo has emerged victorious in a copyright trial over the writing and production credits on his 2020 chart-topper “Savage Love.”

A jury in Los Angeles handed down a verdict on Thursday (May 7) rejecting the claims brought by session musician Matthew Spatola against Derulo and Columbia Records. This means Spatola won’t recover any royalties from “Savage Love,” a viral TikTok hit from August 2020 that later hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to a remix featuring BTS.

A rep for Spatola declined to comment following the verdict. Reps for Derulo and Columbia did not immediately return requests for comment.

Spatola, who played guitar and bass on “Savage Love,” argued during the two-week trial that he also had a hand in crafting the instrumentals and was thus entitled to writing and production splits. Derulo denied this, testifying in court that Spatola just played what he was told and “created absolutely nothing” for the song.

The case, which has been making its way through the court system since 2023, highlighted the prevalence — and potential pitfalls — of informal dealings between artists and their musical collaborators. It is undisputed that Spatola was paid a $2,000 fee for two studio sessions in April 2020. But it’s also undisputed that he and Derulo never formally signed a so-called work-for-hire agreement.

Under copyright law, a work-for-hire agreement confirms that a musician does not have authorship rights despite contributing to a song. In this case, no such deal was signed; Derulo merely texted Spatola after the fact, asking, “1K good each day?”

Spatola alleged that the absence of work-for-hire paperwork was proof that he was more than just a session musician. Derulo countered that these forms just fell through the cracks because “Savage Love” was recorded at the height of COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, “so the people that would typically be in place to give him an agreement just weren’t there.”

Jurors ultimately sided with Derulo after deliberating for just over a day, finding that Spatola hadn’t proved he was a joint author of either the “Savage Love” composition or master recording. They did not give any explanation for their verdict, as is typical.