Influence Media Wins Anthem for $650M, Live Nation's Trump Call — June 26

Email us hereMusic Industry DailyBlackRock-backed Influence Media Partners emerges as the winning bidder for Anthem Entertainment's $650M music catalog, while court filings reveal Live Nation's CEO called Trump directly before the DOJ's antitrust settlement. Meanwhile, the law firm that took down Big Tobacco is now gunning for AI music generators Suno and Udio.Deals & M&AEx-Blackstone exec Vlado Spasov launches Trimontium, a $1.5B alternative asset manager targeting music rights and IP royalties.Influence Media Partners wins Anthem Entertainment's catalog — Rush + Timbaland masters and publishing — with a $650M-plus offer.Lawsuits & AICourt filings show Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino called Trump in February before the DOJ's surprise antitrust settlement; 30+ state AGs push to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster anyway.Pandora cites a new appellate ruling to challenge the MLC's authority to sue over unpaid mechanical royalties on its free radio tier.Hagens Berman — the $260B tobacco settlement firm — teams with Delgado Entertainment Law to file amended copyright suit against AI generator Udio.31 orgs, led by the European Music Managers Alliance, demand labels stop pressuring artists into AI licensing deals without meaningful consent.Streaming & TechTuned Global powers FanLabel's SongPicks music prediction-market app; over $1.5M already wagered on Kalshi on June's top Spotify USA artist.SoundCloud and Twitch launch "SoundCloud Sessions," a 12-hour global DJ livestream series, riding a 39% year-on-year surge in DJ sets.Luminate: English-language tracks hold 86% of US on-demand streams, but Latin and K-pop content are steadily chipping away at that share.Live & TouringSan Antonio amends Ye's Alamodome contract to ban "Heil Hitler" performances and swastika merch at his July 4 show; cancellation was blocked.HBO announces JAŸ-Z IN 8, an eight-part Rick Rubin-directed documentary series debuting fall 2026, executive produced by Jay-Z and Daniel Kaluuya.Artists & ReleasesSuno's new "Spark" incubator offers indie artists up to $10K in grants — but a permanent gag clause bars any criticism of the company.Paula Moore reveals she signed Bassnectar to a new management deal in November 2025; his business is up 47% in Q1 2026.Warner Music Group and Amoeba launch a nationwide vinyl take-back pilot at record stores.Also TodayMichael Jackson biopic Michael crosses $1B at the box office, topping two Lord of the Rings films.Rod Stewart and Lionel Richie both suffered onstage near-collapses this week, amplifying elder-touring safety concerns.Five minutes, six categories, zero fluff.