Britons splash out on get-togethers as events industry toasts summer boom
Venues and companies report rise in bookings, from family bashes and weddings to date nights, book clubs and Dungeons & Dragons
Has pop music got less melodic? I’ve immersed myself in 70 years of hits – this is what I’ve found
A new study claims that songs have become less complex. But the magic of these short, sharp tunes can’t be so easily distilled, says author Tom Breihan
Darcus Howe’s son Darcus Beese and his activist mother, Barbara: ‘He was imbued with the spirit of the struggle’
He was the first black boss of a UK record label. She was a British Black Panther and one of the Mangrove Nine. They reflect on the ‘madness’ of his childhood, and his memoir that records their groundbreaking legacies
‘Looks like £400 a month. That can’t be right!’ Readers on their music spending
Are you keeping an eye on spending thanks to expensive vinyl and concert tickets? Guardian readers explain how they’re keeping fandom alive in a cost of living crisis
Mungo Jerry frontman hopes new anti-piracy tech stops artists losing out
Ray Dorset says band lost £23m in royalties but suggests fingerprinting software could help musicians
I’m a Swiftie, but the staggering size of the Eras tour has left me feeling alienated
From the prices to the endless album rereleases, I feel like a conscript in a campaign for cultural and economic dominance, says journalist Elle Hunt
VIP Taylor Swift ticket holders get obstructed view – are pricey packages worth the cash?
Pricey deals on the Eras tour shows are part of a growing trend – but some acts offer more for less cash
‘Songwriters deserve a bigger piece of the pie’: the music publishing boss on the threat of AI
Shani Gonzales of Warner Chappell says that although people are ‘having fun’ with creating AI songs, ‘what happens when someone tries to sell it?’
Jesus and Mary Chain, Robert Fripp and more sue PRS for Music over concert royalties
Exclusive: Organisation that collects and distributes royalties in UK says it will ‘vigorously defend’ lawsuit which alleges preferential treatment for major songwriters
‘Want to be a real artist? Keep going!’: Cyndi Lauper at 71 on self-doubt, success – and surviving sexual assault
She’s the subject of a new documentary, has just announced her farewell tour, and is about to play Glastonbury. The singer and songwriter discusses Trump, resilience and why she hated being pitted against Madonna
Ed Sheeran named UK’s most played artist of the year for seventh time
Seven out of top 10 most played acts, encompassing radio, broadcast and public places, are British
Simon Cowell launches search for new boyband – by highlighting potential solo career
Music mogul aims to replicate success of previous charges One Direction, but acknowledges ‘high degree of risk’ in venture
Private equity group to improve offer for Beyoncé song fund Hipgnosis
Blackstone to increase bid to level that would value London-listed group at nearly $1.6bn
‘She dominates our age’: how Taylor Swift became the greatest show on Earth
The record-smashing singer-songwriter wields creative, commercial and celebrity power like no one before. As her billion-dollar Eras tour lands in the UK, we trace the making of the Swift universe
It’s the age of Swiftonomics – but will Taylor Swift’s phenomenal success trickle down?
Can one record-breaking megastar make a difference for struggling musicians and new artists?