David Israelite’s guest column on October 23, 2025 explained how little music creators get paid across different streaming services. I just want to lay out the facts and be clear: YouTube pays the least for music, full stop. They always have and always will unless someone stands up to them. They’ll throw up smoke screens and tempt you to look the other way, but let’s not be fooled.

YouTube recently touted that it paid artists $8 billion over the past year. This sounds impressive, but it’s not. During the same period, Spotify generated roughly $18 billion in revenue and paid about $12 billion to music rights holders — nearly 67% of its revenue. By contrast, YouTube generated $60 billion in revenue and paid only $8 billion to rights holders — about 13%. YouTube will say they’re not just a music service. But I would argue that YouTube never would have become such a successful platform without music, and even if only one-third of their revenue comes from music (and it’s likely higher), they certainly should be paying more than Spotify, not 50% less.

How does YouTube pay less than their competitors? They are a behemoth bully. They have 2.7 billion monthly active users and more than $60 billion in annual revenue. It’s the dominant video platform, with more hours streamed than Netflix. It’s the largest music service, with more users than Spotify. And in the “traditional” TV space, it’s on track to surpass Comcast as the largest U.S. cable provider. This company now owns audience and content delivery in a way the world has never seen before.

Their tyranny isn’t just limited to music. If you read the headlines, you will see a pattern of coercion: YouTube vs. Televisa/Univision. YouTube vs. NBCUniversal. YouTube vs. Fox. YouTube vs. Paramount. And now YouTube vs. Disney. The playbook is always the same: if you refuse to accept YouTube’s below-market terms, YouTube threatens to go dark until you capitulate. They then shift the blame and spin the story — when in reality, YouTube just wants to pay less.

And now they’re trying to dictate terms to consumers too. If you’re a YouTube TV subscriber, you received an email saying “if Disney’s content is unavailable for an extended period of time,” YouTube will give you a paltry $20 credit. So, YouTube gets to unilaterally decide for consumers how long is too long and how much ESPN is worth to them? They bully the people creating the content and then they bully the consumers who want access to it.

Disney understands that “content is king,” but at YouTube, content is just a pawn in their game. And the game at YouTube is clearly about aggregating services and market power (across Google and YouTube) and using that market power to strong-arm everyone in the ecosystem — rights holders, content creators, advertisers, everyone — for their own financial gain. YouTube is showing us what happens when unchecked power and greed collide.

Thankfully, Disney is standing up to YouTube, and we all need to support Disney because enough is enough. As artists, consumers, and companies, let’s voice our support for Disney in this battle with YouTube. And in parallel, Washington needs to take a good hard look at YouTube’s abuse of market power and explore whether it’s time to break up Google so that YouTube, YouTube Music, and YouTube TV are separate businesses that finally have to compete on a level playing field.

YouTube: without the artists, athletes, and actors, there is no business.

Irving Azoff holds the title of chairman and CEO of The Azoff Company and is the personal manager of the legendary Eagles, Jon Bon Jovi, U2, John Mayer, Van Halen, Gwen Stefani, Steely Dan, Maroon 5, and many others. The Azoff Company is a privately held media and entertainment company dedicated to investing in positively disruptive businesses that put artists and fans first. Azoff was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.

Milwaukee’s newest live entertainment hub, The Argo, will officially open its doors next month inside the historic Fox Bay Theater in Whitefish Bay, anchoring a full-scale renovation of the 1949 Art Deco building and marking the debut of a new mid-size venue for the region’s touring circuit.

The 700-capacity space — which includes a full bar and restaurant, ballroom, and flexible event areas for private rentals, weddings, and community programming — will host its first public concert on Dec. 5 with performances by local artists Chris Haise Band and Zach Pietrini alongside Nashville alt-pop trio VEAUX. The event doubles as a fundraiser benefiting Milwaukee music education programs.

The following night (Dec. 6), Milwaukee rock favorites Goran and Morgan of The Gufs will headline The Argo’s grand-opening celebration, marking the 30th anniversary of their 1995 album Collide.

More than 40 concerts are booked between December and spring 2026, with a mix of touring acts, regional artists and thematic dance parties. Highlights include Grateful Dead tribute act Another One, bluegrass veterans NewFound Road, Minnesota rock band Remo Drive, punk mainstays The Casualties and bluegrass singer Dan Tyminski. A rotating Wednesday swing-jazz residency will feature groups including The Flood, The Sazerac 5, Micro Brew Swing Band and Old Sam & The Teardrops.

The Argo’s ownership group — Andrew J. Coate, Adam Powers and Josh Bryant — completed the venue build-out in under five months after receiving revitalization approval earlier this year. The team has instituted a permanent give-back model, pledging $1 from every ticket sold to support music-industry wellness, with an emphasis on mental health, sustainability and career longevity.

“We’ve lived every angle of this industry — we’ve seen the best of it, we’ve felt the burnout,” Coate says. “The Argo is our way of tipping the scales back toward the good — for our peers, for our city, and for the next generation coming up behind us.”

Talent buying for the venue will be handled exclusively by Knitting Factory Entertainment’s live division, Knitting Factory Presents, led by SVP James Irvine. “This is just the start for The Argo,” Irvine says. “The space is built the right way — production, hospitality, artist amenities — and it has the backbone to become a real destination for touring artists.”

The venue’s bar and kitchen will be helmed by chef Dan Jacobs — a five-time James Beard semifinalist, 2024 nominee and co-owner of Milwaukee restaurants EsterEv and DanDan. The restaurant will soft-open Dec. 5 with a limited menu and will operate independently from ticketed events, allowing locals to dine without attending a show.

Additional partners include exclusive ticketing provider Eventbrite, developer New Land Enterprises and design-build firm Three Sixty Design, whose past work includes Café Centraal and the Milwaukee Athletic Club.

“After months perfecting this venue and the customer experience, we’re finally ready to show our faces to Milwaukee and the world,” Coate adds. “We’re looking to become a must-stop for local artists, prominent touring acts and fans of almost every kind of music.”

A calendar of upcoming dates at Argo is below:

Dec 05                    Public Soft Opening ft. VEAUX w/ Zach Pietrini, Chris Haise Band
Dec 06                    Public Grand Opening ft. Goran & Morgan of The Gufs Celebrating 30th Anniversary of Collide
Dec 10                    Swing Jazz Wednesday featuring Old Sam & The Teardrops
Dec 12                    The First Wave (80’s New Wave Tribute)
Dec 13                    Birth-Tay (Taylor Swift Dancy Party)
Dec 17                    Swing Jazz Wednesday featuring. The Flood
Dec 19                    Another One (Grateful Dead Tribute)
Dec 20                    Second Hand News (Fleetwood Mac Tribute)
Dec 24                    Free Holiday Film Screening
Dec 26                    Free Holiday Film Screening
Dec 27                    Free Holiday Film Screening
Dec 28                    Free  Holiday Film Screening
Dec 31                    Steve Beguhn Presents “New YearS’ teve”

January 2026
Jan 07                     Swing Jazz Wednesday featuring The Sazerac 5
Jan 09                     An Evening with Field Report
Jan 10                     Gabriel Harris
Jan 11                     School of Rock Shorewood
Jan 17                     Violet Wilder
Jan 14                     Swing Jazz Wednesday featuring Old Sam & The Teardrops
Jan 23                     The Midnight Purchase
Jan 24                     Pat McCurdy
Jan 28                     Swing Jazz Wednesday featuring Micro Brew Swing Band
Jan 30                     Fool House (90s Dance Party)
Jan 31                     Hot In Herre (00’s Dance Party)

February 2026
Feb 04                    Swing Jazz Wednesday featuring The Sazerac 5
Feb 11                    Swing Jazz Wednesday featuring Old Sam & The Teardrops
Feb 12                    NewFound Road
Feb 15                    Whitefish Bay High School Music Club
Feb 18                    Swing Jazz Wednesday featuring The Flood
Feb 20                    Remo Drive
Feb 25                    Swing Jazz Wednesday featuring Micro Brew Swing Band
Feb 28                    Jump (Van Halen Tribute)

March 2026
Mar 04                    Swing Jazz Wednesday featuring The Sazerac 5
Mar 07                    Scythian
Mar 11                    Swing Jazz Wednesday featuring Old Sam & The Teardrops
Mar 18                    Swing Jazz Wednesday featuring Micro Brew Swing Band
Mar 25                    Swing Jazz Wednesday featuring Micro Brew Swing Band
Mar 28                    Bangers Before Bed

Coming Soon
Apr 03                    Not Quite Brothers (Classic Rock Tribute)
Apr 10                    Smells Like Nirvana
May 16                   The Casualties
May 29                   Dan Tyminski
Jun 18                     Thurston Howell (Yacht Rock Tribute)
Aug 8                       The Pork Tornadoes

Andrew Del Villar is set to take over as the new CEO of regional Mexican music powerhouse Del Records. The transition that he and his dad, Ángel Del Villar, have been “planning for years” will take effect Thursday, Nov. 6.

The 26-year-old will step in amid his dad’s legal battles as he faces a prison sentence that will begin on Dec. 1. Over the summer, Ángel was sentenced to four years in prison following his conviction on felony charges of doing business with a concert promoter linked to Mexican drug cartels. Now, the California-based indie record label — founded by Ángel in 2008 and previously home to música mexicana giants like Eslabon Armado, Ariel Camacho and Gerardo Ortiz — is looking to enter a new era with a new leader in tow.

“While we never talked about when this transition would actually happen, I’m excited because my dad and I had been planning this for years, it’s been a while and it’s finally happening,” Andrew tells Billboard over Zoom, just days before stepping into his new role.

Previously Del Records’ COO, Andrew began working for his dad’s company as a teenager and mainly worked behind the scenes, booking theater or arena shows for the label’s roster and flagging artists on social media that he thought his dad should sign, including sierreño acts Eslabon Armado and T3R Elemento.

“I started getting involved like 7 or 8 years ago and started from the bottom; collecting tickets, charging when we were doing the nightclubs, and booking U.S. shows in theaters and arenas,” Andrew says. “Then, I kinda of became A&R, sending my dad artists I was finding on social media. I would say, ‘Hey, what do you think about them?’ Just like my dad, I have a good ear and can identify who has potential.”

While Andrew is open to branching out to different genres, for now, Del Records will continue to focus on signing música mexicana acts. “[Regional Mexican] has been our bread and butter,” he adds. “DEL has done a lot over the years, and I want to keep that legacy alive, and keep signing artists and build them from the ground up,” he explains. “But this new era will differentiate from my dad’s run because I will launch new marketing and promotion strategies, leaning heavily on social media. That’s the biggest marketing you can invest in. There’s more to just posting on social media, you need a team dedicated to taking that post to the next level.”

Andrew is revamping his dad’s “Canta Con Del” initiative that launched 10 years ago, inviting local California acts to sing at the family’s restaurant for a shot at getting signed by the label. Andrew will relaunch that initiative but open it to artists from all over the world who can submit their songs/performances on social media. “There’s talent everywhere and we want people to be heard and get an opportunity,” he says.

Over the years, Andrew gained confidence to make decisions, encouraged by his dad to find his voice. “He would tell me, ‘Hey, mijo, whatever you want to say, whatever you want to do, let’s roll with it.’ He’s given me that confidence to speak up.”

Andrew further adds, “My dad has always been my role model, everything that has been thrown at him is a lot, we’ve had these talks for years and he’s always been positive about everything. He’s told me to never let things get to me because in our genre, and the industry in general, people don’t wish you well. But never let the negativity get to you.”

Del Records’ roster today includes Lenin Ramírez, Yahir Saldívar, Sucesión M and Panchito Arredondo, plus newly added acts Marco Granillo, Andi Luan and Cobian Montana.

As Rosalía readied the release of her anticipated album Lux (out Friday, Nov. 7), the global pop star was also filming for the upcoming third season of Euphoria.

“It was very challenging to do both. I was recording the album and producing and checking mixes, everything, while I was shooting Euphoria,” shares the Billboard cover star. “I had to divide my mind between both, and it was the first time, also, that I was doing something like this — preparing a character, studying lines. These are new things for me. It’s very different from making an album and making music. So that was a real challenge.”

Plus, despite her fame, she still had to audition for a role: “Girl, of course, claro!” But once she landed the part and filming began, she says Euphoria co-star Alexa Demie had the best advice to share. “She’s been a very close friend of mine, and she’s been very supportive. The way she approaches it is so effortless, and that’s something very beautiful to see and very inspiring.”

As for who has the best music taste on staff? “Definitely me,” she says with a laugh, before offering another answer. “Zendaya. Because Zendaya recommended Motomami to the director.”

“When we were filming, I admire her so much, I didn’t want to distract her at all,” continues Rosalía. “So I wouldn’t talk to her too much. But when she would be off set, then she would explain that she knew about my music, and that made me very happy. It meant a lot, because I really like what she does. She can do it all.”

Rosalía can, too. With Euphoria on her resume, she reveals that she would love to work with Quentin Tarantino or Sofia Coppola. But until then — and until the third season of Euphoria finally airs in 2026 — fans can cling to the singer’s fourth album, Lux, and read her full Billboard cover story.