Titan Content formed a strategic partnership with Imperial Music (a division of Republic Records) to collaborate on its upcoming girl group, AtHeart. The group — which released a new teaser video and launched official social media channels alongside the announcement — will share a “pre-debut introduction song and video” on March 14, according to a press release. AtHeart consists of seven members: Michi, Katelyn, Seohyeon, Aurora, Bome, Arin and Nahyun. The group’s formation was led by former SM Entertainment CEO Nikki Semin Han.

Spotify began accepting audiobooks from ElevenLabs, an AI software company that provides voice narration technology. Authors can now distribute their ElevenLabs content to Spotify and other audiobook retailers via audiobook distributor Findaway Voices. According to a blog post, all digitally narrated titles will be “clearly marked in the metadata on Spotify” and other platforms, while the book description “will be prepended with the first sentence stating, ‘This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.’”

Korean entertainment group Starship Entertainment struck a copyright partnership with Chinese music platform NetEase Cloud Music. The deal brings Starship’s entire catalog, including Korean girl group IVE, to Chinese audiences. According to a press release, NetEase Cloud Music boasts 206 million monthly active users.

Universal Music Japan acquired a majority stake in A-Sketch, a Japanese artist management business and record label that boasts acts including Saucy Dog, Flumpool and Ayumu Imazu on its roster. A-Sketch is also home to Mash A&R, a rock management company in Japan that manages The Oral Cigarettes, FREDERIC and Saucy Dog. Under the deal, Universal Music Japan will acquire the stake in A-Sketch that’s currently owned by Amuse. A-Sketch will now operate as a label division within Universal Music Japan and continue to be led by A-Sketch representative director/president Nobuyuki Soma, who will report to Universal Music Japan president/CEO Naoshi Fujikura. “The acquisition will further bolster Universal Music Japan’s in-house artist management capabilities and expand its ability to drive new creative and commercial opportunities for its artists,” as stated in a press release.

Reservoir Media acquired U.K. dance and electronic label New State. The deal includes New State’s entire recorded music catalog consisting of more than 13,000 tracks by artists including Zero 7, The Beloved, Paul Oakenfold, Dirty Vegas, D:Ream, Double Trouble, Rebel MC and Congo Natty. Reservoir will continue marketing and releasing new music by New State artists via its Chrysalis Records label.

Create Music Group announced a strategic catalog acquisition and go-forward venture with Pack Records (a.k.a. Pack.), a New York and New Orleans-based indie record label, publisher and artist partnership company co-founded by Sky McElroy, Jett Wells and Gavin Chops. The companies previously established a publishing joint venture. Under the deal, Pack. and its artists will have access to Create’s proprietary technology, global distribution, data-driven marketing insights and monetization tools. Pack.’s roster includes aldn, CONNIE, Blood Cultures, daine, Dava and Godly the Ruler. Its catalog boasts recording and publishing rights “at the heart of internet and gaming culture viral moments,” according to a press release, including aldn’s “icantbelieveiletyougetaway,” Ezekiel’s “help_urself,” Godford’s “Downtown,” and Internet Girl’s “PULL UP,” as well as the CONNIE-produced “DIVE IN!” by JELEEL! and “Stupid” by Lexa Gates.

Hook, the AI-powered platform that allows users can legally remix songs and earn income for doing so, signed a strategic partnership with digital music distributor Too Lost. More than 300,000 artists and labels will be brought to Hook through the deal, including Teddy Swims, Tommy Richman, Ty Dolla $ign, Fivio Foreign, Kodak Black, Justin Beiber, Playboi Carti, James Blake, Pink Sweats and Emei. This is Hook’s fourth distribution partnership following deals with FUGA/Downtown, Revelator and Gyrostream.

iHeartMedia and the government communications office of the State of Qatar signed a multi-year partnership that aims to develop a state-of-the-art podcast studio in Qatar and release both original and existing podcast content to Arabic audiences. Under the agreement, iHeart will also offer specialized masterclasses to develop local podcasting talent and host global industry events, including annual Web Summit gatherings — the partnership was announced at this year’s Web Summit in Qatar — in an effort to position the Middle Eastern country as a regional podcasting hub.

Synch platform SourceAudio struck a deal with the Wolfman Jack estate through which the company will repurpose and discover new monetization opportunities for the radio legend’s shows. Through the AudioGenius tool on SongLab — SourceAudio’s AI-powered suite of music tools — the Wolfman Jack estate will be able to “reuse, repurpose, control, and monetize their valuable content archives across today’s digital platforms and ecosystem,” according to a press release. According to Tod Weston Smith, son of Wolfman Jack and president of Wolfman Jack Entertainment, AudioGenius “has significantly streamlined our process, allowing our Wolfman Jack team to access and retrieve clips from our extensive digital archives in seconds, rather than spending hours searching, and we are now able to generate additional revenue from previously underutilized or unused content.”

SoundCloud partnered with Ticketmaster and its self-serve event ticketing and marketing platform Universe in an integration that will allow SoundCloud’s Artist Pro users to create and manage events; sell tickets and share shows directly on the streaming platform; and enjoy amplification opportunities across SoundCloud, Ticketmaster and Universe. They will also have the ability to use Universe to manage and track ticket sales.

Justin Timberlake has canceled his show in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday night (Feb. 27), due to the flu.

The star took to his Instagram Stories shortly before doors were scheduled to open at the Nationwide Arena to share a statement. “You guys. I’m heartbroken,” he wrote. “I have to cancel the show tonight. I went into soundcheck battling the flu and now it’s gotten the best of me. It kills me to disappoint you and my team worked so hard to make this show happen. I want to reassure you, you’ll be getting refunds for your tickets. I love you all.”

See his post here.

The stop amid his Forget Tomorrow World Tour was originally scheduled to take place back in November, but it was postponed along with five other concerts to this month, as the “Suit & Tie” singer was struggling with bronchitis and laryngitis.

The tour is in support Timberlake’s sixth solo album, Everything I Thought It Was, which features his moody R&B single, “Selfish.” The new album — Timberlake’s follow-up to his earthy 2018 Man of the Woods LP — was released in March 2024.

While his North American run ended on an unfortunate note, the Forget Tomorrow World Tour is scheduled to pick back up again in April, where he’s set to perform in Mexico. In June, he flies over to Europe for a string of dates, kicking off in Milan, Italy, on June 2 and wrapping up in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, on July 8. Tickets are available for purchase here.

Some of rock’s most infamous relics are hitting the auction block.

A new sale from Potter & Potter Auctions, titled Punks, Monsters, Smut & Madmen: A Countercultural Cross-Section, is offering a selection of music memorabilia that ranges from the iconic to the downright bizarre—including a pair of GG Allin’s blood-signed underwear and strands of Kurt Cobain’s hair.

The Chicago-based auction house will open bidding on March 6, with a catalog featuring dozens of punk and grunge artifacts. Among the standout items is a pair of Allin’s personal underwear, reportedly signed in his own blood.

According to the listing, the briefs are “Blood-Signed and Inscribed Personal Underwear. N.d. Underwear briefs belonging to GG Allin.”

It continues: “Signed in blood over the fly and INSCRIBED ‘Suck my a– it smells’ to the reverse side. Stable; one hole near rear inscription; seemingly used; staining.” Infamous for his extreme stage presence and self-destructive performances, Allin’s memorabilia has long been sought after by collectors fascinated with punk’s most chaotic figure.

Cobain’s hair, meanwhile, is making a return to the auction circuit. Back in 2021, six strands of the late Nirvana frontman’s hair were sold for $14,145.

This time, only two strands are available, leading to speculation that the original buyer either retained the remaining pieces or is looking to capitalize on their investment. The listing states that the hair was originally obtained in Birmingham, England, in 1989 by Cobain’s friend Tessa Osbourne while Nirvana was on their Bleach tour.

This isn’t the first time Cobain-related memorabilia has made waves at auction. Items tied to the Nirvana frontman frequently command high prices, with his MTV Unplugged 1959 Martin D-18E acoustic guitar selling for a record-breaking $6 million in 2020, making it the most expensive guitar ever sold.

His cardigan from that same Unplugged performance fetched $334,000, while a paper plate with a setlist written on it sold for $22,400. Despite the more unusual nature of this auction, Cobain’s hair is expected to draw significant interest.

Beyond the Allin and Cobain items, the auction will feature an array of punk and rock memorabilia. Fans of New York’s legendary CBGB will find a storefront awning from the club’s defunct gift shop, as well as a piece of the venue’s dressing room wall, as well as signed items from punk icons like The Ramones and Dead Kennedys.

Paul McCartney is taking a trip back to the ‘70s for a new book, with Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run set to look at his post-Beatles band.

Scheduled for release on Nov. 4 via Liveright/W. W. Norton and Allen Lane/Penguin Press, the book is authored by McCartney and edited by historian Ted Widmer, featuring an in-depth personal account of the band, as told by McCartney, key players, and family members.

Wings was formed in 1971 by McCartney following the dissolution of The Beatles the previous year, the release of his self-titled debut album one week later, and the arrival of 1971’s Ram album with wife Linda. Recruiting Moody Blues co-founder Denny Laine and drummer Denny Seiwell, the band would continue until 1981, releasing a total of seven studio albums, including four consecutive records that topped the Billboard 200.

“I’m so very happy to be transported back to the time that was Wings and relive some of our madcap adventures through this book,” said McCartney in a statement. “Starting from scratch after The Beatles felt crazy at times. There were some very difficult moments and I often questioned my decision. But as we got better I thought, ‘OK this is really good.’ 

“We proved Wings could be a really good band. To play to huge audiences in the same way The Beatles had and have an impact in a different way. It was a huge buzz.”

A description of the book notes that it is “organized around nine Wings albums,” implying the narrative begins with 1971’s Ram and also includes 1976’s triple live record Wings over America. The volume also contains 150 black-and-white photographs, of which many are unseen, and focuses on many iconic stories of the band’s history, including how they “survive a robbery on the streets of Nigeria, appear unannounced at various university halls, [and] tour in a sheared-off double-decker bus with their children.”

“Wings was about love, family, friendship and artistic growth, often in the face of tremendous adversity,” adds Widmer. “It was a joy to relive the madcap adventures of a special band, by listening to their stories, and compiling this oral history.”

Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run comes following a number of recent happenings for the group, including a 50th anniversary reissue of 1973’s Band on the Run and the long-awaited arrival of the live record and film One Hand Clapping in 2024. A 50th anniversary reissue of 1975’s Venus and Mars is also scheduled to arrive on March 21.

Grupo Firme canceled a performance at a carnival scheduled for this Saturday (March 1) in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, after a message on a banner with alleged death threats attributed to a drug cartel appeared in its hometown of Tijuana. The regional Mexican music band confirmed on Wednesday (Feb. 26) the suspension of its concert in an official statement.

“We deeply regret informing you that the presentation of Grupo Firme for this March 1st at the Mazatlán Carnival is canceled,” reads the statement shared on the band’s Instagram Stories. “For Music VIP, the well-being of those who have accompanied us on this path — our family, which is you, our fans — is and will always be the most important thing. We hope to be able to meet again soon to sing, celebrate and continue making history together.”

The cancelation of the show — originally announced as part of the Carnaval de Mazatlán, which starts Thursday (Feb. 27) and lasts until March 4 — came after the discovery of an alleged narcomanta and a human head in a box on Tuesday (Feb. 25) in Tijuana. The fact was confirmed to Billboard Español by the Baja California State Prosecutor’s Office, which said that an investigation has already been opened.

Requests for comments sent by Billboard Español to Music VIP and a representative for Grupo Firme on Wednesday night weren’t answered at press time.

On Wednesday morning, the Sinaloa authorities had confirmed that the Mazatlán Carnival would go on without changes, after stating that there were security guarantees for Grupo Frontera and attendees. This announcement was made by the Secretary of the Government of Sinaloa, Feliciano Castro, at a press conference. But hours later, the band led by singer Eduin Caz announced what was imminent: The cancellation of their presentation at the event.

There, Grupo Firme was supposed to kick off the Mexican leg of its successful La Última Peda Tour, which included 14 dates in the country and two festivals in the U.S. The trek is produced by an alliance of promoters Music VIP, Music VIBE, Cohumanity and other companies.

The Mexican state of Sinaloa has seen over 800 homicides in the last five months, according to official figures reported by Spanish news agency EFE, since an internal struggle began last September between two factions of the cartel of the same name after the capture of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, co-founder of that criminal organization that now demands that the U.S. repatriate him to Mexico.

Grupo Firme now joins a series of regional Mexican acts that have received alleged threats from drug trafficking groups, forcing the cancellation of their performances in territories in conflict with criminal organizations. One of the most memorable cases is that of corridos superstar Peso Pluma, who had to cancel six shows, including a performance in Tijuana scheduled for October 2023, when alleged threats were issued against him by criminal groups.