From October 14 to 18, 2024, Miami buzzed with energy as it hosted the much-anticipated 35th Anniversary of Billboard Latin Music Week. This year’s event solidified its status as the premier global gathering for Latin artists and industry executives, showcasing over 70 talented artists. Since its inception, Billboard Latin Music Week has played a pivotal role in highlighting the growth and cultural significance of Latin music in the United States.

The vibrant lineup featured a mix of exclusive panel discussions, electrifying performances, and engaging workshops, all designed to connect fans and industry professionals alike. Attendees had the opportunity to gain valuable insights from industry leaders and celebrate the rich culture that has pushed Latin music to become one of the biggest genres worldwide.

Azzaro Parfums, a renowned men’s fragrance brand, partnered with Billboard to enhance the experience for Latin Music Week attendees. Their activation, located on-site at The Fillmore Miami Beach, allowed fans to sample Azzaro’s signature scents during daytime programming. 

The collaboration continued at Tuesday night’s En Vivo concert featuring Grupo Frontera and culminated at a grand 35th Anniversary celebration on Friday night. Azzaro set up a sampling station for three of their fragrances: The Most Wanted Eau de Toilette Intense, The Most Wanted Eau de Parfum Intense, and The Most Wanted Parfum. Attendees were also able to pose for photos in front of the gold vinyl photo wall. 

The Most Wanted Eau de Toilette Intense features notes of Bergamot, heart of Lavender, and Moss Liquor Accord. The Most Wanted Eau de Parfum Intense has notes of Cardamom, Toffee Accord, and Woods Accord, and The Most Wanted Parfum consists of Red Ginger, Woods Accord, and Bourbon Vanilla. 

In addition to the fragrance sampling, Azzaro welcomed social media influencers Ventura Twins and Jose Ramos, who documented their experiences as Azzaro Parfums Partners throughout the week. Their presence added an extra layer of excitement for attendees, who were thrilled to meet the influencers.

For those who couldn’t attend, there’s still a chance to experience the festivities through Billboard’s social media channels. Stay tuned for more highlights from Billboard Latin Music Week and Azzaro Parfums’ participation in this unforgettable celebration of Latin music.

Jennifer Lopez delivered an important PSA Wednesday (Oct. 23), less than two weeks ahead of the presidential election — and she did it through song. 

Sitting behind a piano next to actress Jenifer Lewis and vocal coach Stevie Mackey in a video posted to social media, the “On the Floor” singer and her friends belted out harmonies while repeating, “Get your a– out and vote.”  

“I don’t care who you are or where you work,” Lewis sang in between the refrain as Lopez and Mackey swayed to the music. “This ain’t the election to sit home and lurk.” 

Election Day is just around the corner, with millions of Americans set to hit the polls Nov. 5. The deadline for registration — Oct. 26 — is even sooner. (For information on how to register to vote, check your registration and more, visit USA.gov.) 

Lopez previously shared her support of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, appearing virtually at a September “Unite for America” rally hosted by Oprah Winfrey in Michigan. The Marry Me star is just one of many celebrities to support the VP in 2024, with Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, Ariana Grande and dozens more musicians publicly endorsing Harris in recent months.  

Recently, Marc Anthony — Lopez’s ex-husband and the father of her two children, Emme and Max — praised Harris and slammed Republican opponent Donald Trump in a political commercial. “This election goes way beyond political parties,” the Puerto Rican superstar said in the ad. “Let’s remember what the United States represents and stands for: UNITED. That’s why I support Kamala Harris for president.” 

Watch Lopez’s reminder to vote below.

From Taylor Swift T-shirts to Fleetwood Mac Rumours vinyl LPs, the global music merchandise business will grow to a retail value of $16.3 billion by 2030, according to a new report by MIDiA Research.

Merch become a priority for many artists in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the concert business. And as touring resumed and fans opened their wallets, the global merch business rose to $13.4 billion in 2023. But merch sales are expected to cool considerably, as MIDiA forecasts merch sales will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of just 2.8% through the end of the decade. There’s still plenty of opportunity, though — if artists and merch companies don’t treat merch like a cash grab.

“As the market has become more sophisticated, fan expectations for quality have risen,” MIDiA’s Tatiana Cirisano said in a statement. “But record labels focusing on monetising fandom risk ‘overharvesting’ — exploiting this resource to the point of diminishing returns.”

Music companies, Cirisano added, “must nurture deep, long-lasting fandom to sustain this growth.”

Physical music, which MIDiA considers to be merch because many consumers treat vinyl LPs and CDs as collectible items, is forecasted to peak in 2025 and decrease through 2030. Physical merchandise such as artist-branded apparel and digital merchandise such as virtual goods and NFTs are expected to make up for physical music’s decline and lift total merch revenues.

Merch isn’t the most financially appealing part of the music business. That would be digital music, which enjoys both higher margins and higher growth rates. In the first half of 2024, Universal Music Group’s recorded music business had earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) margin of 25.4%, nearly five times its merch division’s 5.3% EBITDA margin. And while MIDiA expects merch to grow at a 2.8% CAGR through 2030, Goldman Sachs forecasts the global music streaming market will grow at a 9.9% CAGR over that time frame.

But merch has always been an important part of the music business because of music fans’ unending desire for T-shirts and keepsakes of their favorite artists. Consolidation in the merch business began about six years ago as major labels and some indies invested in merchandising companies to diversify their revenues and expand the services they offer to artist clients.

Warner Music Group, for example, acquired German merch specialist EMP in 2018. Universal Music Group acquired boutique merch company Epic Rights in 2019. Sony Music Entertainment made a strategic investment in merchandise company Ceremony of Roses in 2022, and its Thread Shop merch agency purchased the merch division of The Araca Group in 2019.  Also in 2019, Indie company EMPIRE took a majority stake in merch/ecommerce company Top Drawer Merch / Electric Family.

The Core Records and Capitol Music Group have signed Hannah McFarland to their joint venture; it is the first signing announced by the two entities. McFarland’s single, “Hey Highway,” out Friday (Oct. 25), will be the first official release from the new label.

“Signing with The Core Records and Capitol Music Group feels like the perfect fit as I take this next major step in my career,” said McFarland in a statement. “Both teams understand my vision and have the resources and knowledge to help me grow as an artist while staying true to my sound. I’m so excited to have these incredible partners by my side as we work together to share my music with the world.”

Alabama-raised McFarland moved to Nashville in 2016 and has opened for such acts as Kelsea Ballerini, Old Dominion and Travis Tritt. Earlier this year, she joined Zach Bryan on stage to perform “I Remember Everything,” his chart-topping duet with Kacey Musgraves. She is currently on the road with Brett Young, Tucker Wetmore and Kip Moore. Earlier this year, she signed a joint publishing deal with Warner Chappell and The Core Entertainment.

“From the moment we heard Hannah’s music, we knew she had something special,” said Chief Zaruk and Simon Tikhman, co-founders/CEOs of The Core. “Her unique voice, compelling storytelling, and undeniable talent make her a perfect fit for The Core. We’re excited to partner with Capitol Music Group to bring her music to a global audience.”

Chairman/CEO of Capitol Music Group Tom March added, “We are thrilled to welcome Hannah into the Capitol Music Group family alongside our partners at The Core Records. Hannah is a brilliant and talented musician, and we look forward to embarking on this next chapter together with her.”

The Core Records is the new label arm of The Core Entertainment, which was founded in 2019 by Zaruk and Tikhman. The management company’s roster includes Nickelback, Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith and Josh Ross. The label has been slowly staffing up, including with Jamie Younger as vp of artist development and Jon Borris as GM.