Artists Grupo 5, Bebeshito, Guayanaa, Luck Ra, and Olga Tañón discuss the booming genres of cumbia and tropical music presented by Andrea Ramírez PR
Brace yourself for another jump in your monthly bills: Spotify is expected to raise its subscription prices in the U.S. early next year. According to multiple equity analysts, the streaming company is likely to implement a price hike by the first quarter of 2026, continuing a trend that’s changed what consumers pay to stream music and vastly improved the company’s bottom line.
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In a Tuesday (Oct. 21) investor note, Morgan Stanley analysts pointed to Spotify’s price increases in Australia in September as “the beginning of a pricing cycle in ’26” and a move that “creates a template” for pricing in other markets in which Spotify bundles music and audiobooks. The price increase in Australia amounted to 14% for individual plans and 17% for multi-person family plans.
Likewise, analysts at J.P. Morgan expect a U.S. price increase will come “by year end or early 2026,” they wrote in an Oct. 14 note. The analysts estimated that recent price increases — which included Germany, Austria and Lichtenstein — represent just 25% to 30% of subscription revenue and could account for incremental annual revenue of 380 million euros ($441 million). A U.S. price increase would be even more impactful, they added, driving 425 million ($493 million) of annual incremental revenue.
Guggenheim expects a U.S. price increase to be announced by the end of the year, with the financial impact hitting Spotify’s income statement in early 2026, analysts wrote in an Aug. 18 note to investors. The analysts believe that the latest round of licensing agreements with record labels “included pending increases in per-subscriber minimum fees,” which would lead to higher prices paid by subscribers.
In the U.S., a Spotify individual plan was raised to $11.99 per month in July 2024. The price had gone unchanged since launching in the U.S. in 2011 until Spotify bumped the price to $10.99 in July 2023. The family plan increased from $15.99 to $16.99 in 2023 and further rose to $19.99 in 2024.
Spotify executives have not explicitly said they intend to further raise prices in the coming months. Instead, management frequently talks about the company’s efforts to make Spotify a more valuable experience, which gives it the ability to raise prices without losing subscriptions. This “value-to-price” ratio has become a key metric that helps guide Spotify. As co-president Alex Norström explained during a May 1 earnings call, the company “takes steps to balance the value-to-price ratio,” adding value and then adjusting the price “when it makes sense for the market.”
Raising prices has been instrumental in helping Spotify become a more profitable company. Looking ahead, Morgan Stanley analysts believe Spotify is likely to achieve 14% to 15% compound annual revenue growth through 2028. Analysts Benjamin Swinburne and Cameron Mansson-Perrone “see significant margin potential still ahead as the company follows product enhancements with price increases and diversifies into higher margin products” in its subscription segment. Put another way, the analysts see room for Spotify’s financials to improve as it raises prices and adds additional products such as a “superfan” tier on top of the standard subscription price.
Guggenheim has a $850 price target, suggesting 19% upside from Tuesday’s $689.21 closing price. Morgan Stanley has an $800 price target while J.P. Morgan is slightly more bullish, forecasting a price target of $805.
The Cult have announced that they will be taking a hiatus following the conclusion of their current North American tour.
In a statement shared with Billboard by frontman Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy, the band announced that they’d be taking a long break from touring to focus on other creative endeavors.
“Mother Nature has a cycle of change and evolution that is inevitable,” the statement began. “The moon’s phases change, tides rise and fall. Change is necessary for creation and rebirth. It is with this in mind that, following the remaining dates on our current North American The Cult/Death Cult 8525 Tour, we have decided to step away from touring for an undetermined amount of time. We have toured extensively over the last few years and we shall now shift our focus to writing, recording new music, and exploring other projects that shall be revealed over time. It is a time for us to turn inward to recharge our spiritual batteries.”
The Cult went on to add that they have five more shows left in their tour, and that they look forward to celebrating them with their fans.
“When we return to the stage, it shall be with an even stronger fire and energy that we will share with all of you. Ours is a communal bond, and it will not be broken, simply paused. Until then, we have five remaining shows on this current tour, culminating at The Shrine in Los Angeles on Oct 30. Please join us for what has been an incredible celebration of 40 years of The Cult and Death Cult.”
Additionally, Astbury and Duffy shared their own individual comments at the end of the statement.
“It’s been a beautiful three years celebrating our music with The Cult family around the world. Now it’s time to go home and spend time with our own families, and create some new music,” Billy wrote.
Meanwhile, Ian added, “My deepest gratitude to all who attended and immersed themselves in our world. I am deeply grateful to be connected to our Cult family as we ready ourselves for our final five shows for some time, and we take the opportunity to dive deeper into our next creative adventures. More shall be revealed. Blessings to you all.”
Founded in 1983 under the name Death Cult, the British group shortened their name to The Cult in January 1984. The British rock group have dropped 11 studio albums, with their most recent, Under the Midnight Sun, arriving back in 2022.
Read the full statement on their Instagram below.
Superstars De La Ghetto and Jowell, and former NBA and international legend, now sports executive, Carlos Arroyo discuss culture and community at the intersection of the two industries.
Jason Aldean’s first career retrospective, 30 Number One Hits, debuts at No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart (dated Oct. 25). It also starts at No. 21 on the all-genre Billboard 200 with 22,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending Oct. 16, according to Luminate.
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The set marks the superstar’s 13th top 10 on Top Country Albums, a run that began with his 2005 self-titled release. Aldean has logged six No. 1s on the list, with all his top 10s having debuted in the region.
The new compilation arrived to streaming and digital platforms Oct. 10, with vinyl due Oct. 31 exclusively at Walmart and on disc everywhere Nov. 21.
Aldean finds himself in strong company among country best-ofs. Since 2015, only Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers, Blake Shelton and George Strait have seen greatest hits collections open higher, all reaching the top three. Aldean’s No. 4 showing also puts him shoulder-to-shoulder with Dolly Parton, as his latest is the highest charting newly released hits package since her No. 4-peaking Diamonds & Rhinestones: The Greatest Hits Collection in December 2022.
Andrews’ ‘Older’ Is New
Singer-songwriter and Carrollton, Mo., native Bryan Andrews makes his first Billboard chart appearance at No. 3 on Country Digital Song Sales with “The Older I Get” (2,000 sold). The track also debuts at No. 8 on Digital Song Sales and he enters at No. 16 on Emerging Artists.
Andrews began performing while in college and has since built a following of 3.5 million on TikTok. A viral Oct. 9 post referencing ICE drew wide attention to the track (on which he wonders, “Do the good guys ever win?”), fueling downloads and engagement.
From Aldean’s career-spanning retrospective to Andrews’ breakthrough, the results underscore country’s constant evolution, where established stars and newcomers share the same scoreboards.
The Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, long recognized as one of the world’s top music institutions, proudly joined this year’s Billboard Latin Music Week as an official sponsor.
For nearly a century, the Frost School has played a pivotal role in shaping the future of music and educating the very artists and leaders who have greatly impacted the industry. Its alumni have left a lasting mark on the Latin music landscape, their artistry and influence now woven into the fabric of the genre. The school’s influential graduates include multi-award winning producer Julio Reyes Copello; famed artist Jon Secada; producer and A&R executive Natalia Ramirez; globe-trotting drummer Brendan Buckley; leading music executive Julio Bagué; producer, composer, and conductor Carlos “Carlitos” Fernando Lopez; and global music icon Gloria Estefan.
Those alumni as well as other illustrious graduates were celebrated on October 20 in an exclusive Latin Power Players invite-only event. A highlight of the event was the presentation of a Billboard Latin Music Power Player award for “Publisher of the Year” to Frost School alumnus Jorge Mejia of Sony Music. The award was given to him by Leila Cobo, Billboard’s Chief Content Officer, Latin/Español.
During Latin Music Week, members of the Frost School of Music team led a series of exclusive roundtable sessions, giving attendees the rare opportunity to directly connect with representatives from the renowned institution. The sessions fostered dynamic conversations about the need for future-looking music education, ways to harness your own creativity to make an impact, and the evolving role of Latin artists in the global music industry.
The intimate sessions offered attendees actionable insights into building sustainable careers in music, while underscoring the Frost School of Music’s century-long legacy of nurturing the next generation and strengthening its connection to the Latin music community.
As Latin music continues to dominate charts worldwide, the Frost School of Music’s presence at Billboard Latin Music Week reaffirms its role as a cornerstone of artistic growth and innovation, where the next generation of global stars and industry leaders are already preparing to make their mark.
The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard Hot 100 dated Nov. 1, we look at some new blood that might freshen up the chart’s top 10 in the coming weeks.
Olivia Dean, “Man I Need” (Capitol/Polydor/Republic): If there’s one rising pop star actually making a noteworthy impact in this period of total Taylor Swift dominance, it’s Olivia Dean. The U.K. throwback singer-songwriter has been gradually entrancing bigger audiences on both sides of the pond for all of 2025, and it’s resulted in her new album The Art of Loving not only debuting atop the U.K. Official Albums Chart and in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 — but climbing one spot on the latter chart in each of the two weeks since its bow, as multiple songs from it continue to grow on streaming.
The biggest of those breakout songs is easily the jubilant advance single “Man I Need,” which first crossed over to the Hot 100 in August. “Man” bounded its way up to No. 12 on the chart earlier this October, before getting buried (like the rest of the chart) under Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl avalanche, falling to No. 20. This week, it begins its rebound, climbing back to No. 17.
It should have even more room to grow soon. Not only will some of the Showgirl songs start to slip out of the top 15, but there are additional openings in the chart’s top tier now thanks to recent Billboard rule changes allowing for songs to go recurrent on the Hot 100 quicker than they used to — with such long-running chart smashes as Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control,” Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” and Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” falling off the chart this week as a result.
With those hits out of the way, and Swift’s songs losing momentum in their third week of release, it could be a clear path for “Man I Need” to become Dean’s first Hot 100 top 10 hit in the next week or two. Also helping: Radio has begun to embrace the song, as it debuts at No. 40 on Radio Songs this week, and rose 30% in airplay audience over the first four days of the current tracking week (Oct. 17-20), compared to the previous period, according to Luminate.
Leon Thomas, “Mutt” (EZMNY/Motown/Interscope Capitol): “Mutt” has been sniffing around the top 10 of the Hot 100 for months now, peaking as high as No. 11 on the chart before also falling prey to the swarm of Swift debuts. Thomas‘ breakout hit is steady at No. 18 this week, and may be due for a rebound in the weeks to come with space likely opening up above it.
And despite a radio presence that has already been gaining momentum for most of 2025 — the single was technically a summer 2024 release — the song is still growing this late into the year. It reaches a new No. 3 peak on Radio Songs this week, with 59.2 million in all-format radio audience, and climbs 9-7 on Pop Airplay. If it just stays the course for another week or two, “Mutt” may finally have its day inside the top 10.
Kelahni, “Folded” (Atlantic): A long-overdue pop win for acclaimed R&B singer-songwriter Kehlani came this summer with her viral “Folded,” which gradually slithered its way into the Hot 100’s top 20. It’s receded to No. 21 since peaking at No. 18, but radio is really starting to try it on — the song rises to No. 13 on Radio Songs this week, while it holds in the top five on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and even bubbles under Pop Airplay — and its streaming remains very strong.
Tame Impala, “Dracula” (Columbia): For the last decade, we’d only be talking about Kevin Parker’s Hot 100 presence in the context of his writing and production work for pop A-listers like Lady Gaga, Travis Scott and Dua Lipa. That changes this month with the breakout of his outfit Tame Impala’s dancefloor-ready single “Dracula,” which debuted at No. 55 on the Hot 100 two weeks ago and sits at No. 59 this week.
The song should make a particular surge on next week’s Hot 100, thanks to the debut of “Dracula” parent album Deadbeat — the added streams and momentum from which have even vaulted the song into the top 10 on Spotify’s still Showgirl-littered Daily Top Songs USA chart. From there, it might just be a question of how much radio joins the party — and early signs are encouraging on that front, as the song is up 28% in all-format reach over the first four days of the current tracking week.
Yes, baby, Madison Beer has announced the release date for her upcoming album, Locket, which will arrive in January 2026.
Beer made the news official via Instagram on Wednesday (Oct. 22), while also revealing the project’s cover art, which finds the pop star holding a golden heart-shaped locket.
Locket is slated to be released on Jan. 16 via Epic Records, and Beer shared that she’s never been “so proud” or “excited” about a project in her career.
“Locket , my new album , will be yours 1.16 you can preorder it now – link is in my bio (♡ ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈ ) !!!!!!!! i really can’t believe i am saying this,” she captioned her post. “This album means the world to me, i’ve never been so proud or excited about something n i am soooooo beyond excited for you to listen :’)) this project is my world locket 1.16 !!!”
The artist also said in a press release, “After writing the album, it feels like each song lives within this metaphorical locket for safekeeping. Each album feels like an era and once the albums are out in the world the chapter for me, usually with what I wrote about, is closed.”
The 26-year-old set the table for the album with a trio of singles: “Yes Baby,” “Bittersweet” and “Make You Mine.”
Beer released a self-directed visual for the airy “Bittersweet” on Monday (Oct. 20), which finds her evading paparazzi and arguing with The Summer I Turned Pretty star Sean Kaufman.
“I think the album has such duality — there are songs that are upbeat but still emotional,” she told Vogue of Locket in an interview also published Oct. 22. “It’s a real roller coaster.”
It’s been a fun month for Beer. She made her Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show debut Oct. 15 in Brooklyn, where she sported wings and performed tracks such as the aforementioned “Bittersweet” and “Make You Mine” during the show.
Beer’s last album, Silence Between Songs, arrived in September 2023 and reached No. 86 on the Billboard 200. The dreamy pop project was also nominated for best immersive audio album at the Grammy Awards.
Find the Locket cover art below.
The NFL is standing by Bad Bunny as next year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show headliner, regardless of the controversy surrounding the decision.
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While speaking to press on Tuesday (Oct. 21), the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell dismissed questions about whether the NFL would reconsider the selection of Benito to perform at the big game in February. “He’s one of the leading and most popular entertainers in the world,” he said, according to CBS Sports. “That’s what we try to achieve.”
“It’s an important stage for us,” Goodell continued. “It’s an important element to the entertainment value. It’s carefully thought through.”
He also pointed out: “I don’t think we’re ever selected an artist without some blowback or criticism.”
The commissioner’s comments come amid backlash from certain people — primarily MAGA conservatives — who have taken issue with the choice of a Spanish-speaking musician to perform at halftime. President Donald Trump called it “absolutely ridiculous,” while White House advisor Corey Lewandowski said, “It’s so shameful they’ve decided to pick somebody who seems to hate America so much to represent them at the Halftime Show.”
The chart-topping singer-rapper — who is from Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States — has never indicated that he hates America. He has, however, expressed his hesitance to tour in the U.S. due to concerns that ICE might target his audiences, a fear that Lewandowski further stoked by adding in an October interview that immigration enforcement agents would be present at the Super Bowl.
“There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” the advisor said at the time. “Not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you and apprehend you and put you in a detention facility and deport you.”
Turning Point USA, an ultraconservative youth organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, also announced its intention to host an alternate halftime show out of protest.
But while there is a loud and vocal group speaking out against Bad Bunny’s appointment as 2026 halftime headliner, countless others — from Shaboozey to Jennifer Lopez — have shared how excited they are for Benito’s performance. Shakira also recently said, “It’s the perfect moment for a performance like this.”
She added in an interview with Variety, “I’m so proud that Bad Bunny, who represents not only Latin culture, but also how important Spanish language music has become on a global scale and how universal it has become, is getting to perform on the biggest stage in the world.”
Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Latin Iberia, Afo Verde, artist and actor, JayDee, and CEO & Founder of Rancho Humilde, Jimmy Humilde, share the details of the making of ‘CLIKA.’
