The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) has launched a takedown campaign against Spotify for allegedly hosting unlicensed music in podcasts. Over 2,500 instances of infringement have been identified, with more to follow, according to the organization.

This move follows a May 2023 cease-and-desist letter NMPA sent to Spotify regarding the issue.

NMPA President & CEO David Israelite says, “Spotify has thousands of unlicensed songs in its podcasts, which it has done nothing to remedy. This takedown action comes as no surprise, we have warned of this issue for some time.

“Podcasts are a growing source of revenue for songwriters and publishers, and it is essential that podcasts provide lawfully produced entertainment. This is not hard to do, and Spotify knows, and has known, how to fix this problem for their users. We hope podcast hosts will stand up for their fellow creators and demand that Spotify do better.

“Spotify will stop at nothing to undervalue songwriters on behalf of its bottom line. Look no further than its recent bundling scheme and its ill-conceived appeal of songwriters’ rate increase in CRB III. We will not stop until the platform fixes its podcast problem, and all other areas where songwriters are not earning what they deserve.”

“The Nashville Songwriter Association International (NSAI) applauds The National Music Publisher Association’s (NMPA) take down action against Spotify for unlicensed music contained in podcasts on their platform,” shares Bart Herbison, NSAI Executive Director. “The giant streaming service’s continuing disregard to properly compensate songwriters and composers is again evident in their failure to license these songs. Spotify was warned of this situation nearly a year ago, yet failed to remedy it. To suggest that this action is in response to the recent decision in the MLC lawsuit dismisses the fact that they are illegally using music copyrights.”

The takedown program includes 19 NMPA member publishers including ABKCO, Anthem Entertainment, Big Machine Music, BMG, Concord Music Publishing, Downtown Music Publishing, Hipgnosis Songs Group, Kobalt, Mayimba Music, peermusic, Primary Wave Music, Reservoir, The Royalty Network, Inc., Sony Music Publishing, Spirit Music Group, Ultra Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music and Wixen Music Publishing.

A Spotify Spokesperson shared the following statement with MusicRow, “This is a weak reaction to the judge dismissing the MLC’s lawsuit. Last summer, the NMPA claimed that there were unlicensed works in podcasts on Spotify. The fact that the NMPA waited months, despite multiple written requests by Spotify for details, which they never bothered to answer, to report these episodes only further emphasizes that this is a press stunt. Platforms like Spotify, which are home to millions of pieces of UGC content, regularly receive takedown requests, and, as always, we will act promptly and, where appropriate, remove the episodes in question.”

Spotify confirmed it had since received the list of URLs from the NMPA and is investigating the takedown requests; the initial hundred or so include shows from The New York Times, Slate and iHeart.

Christian Hayes makes his Grand Ole Opry debut. Photo: Hunter Hart

Capitol Records artist Christian Hayes made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday night (Feb. 1.)

Pictured (L-R, back row): Ryan Hofstetter (WME); Taylor Dempsey (Rivida); Jon Folk (WME); Christian Hayes; Reed Moncier, Shaina Botwiin (Capitol Records), Roxy King (UMPG) and Aaron Dombey (Capitol Records); (L-R, front row): Hannah Ferrell (Capitol Records); Ebie McFarland (Essential Broadcast Media); Sam Breslin (Capitol Records); Becky Sake (Capitol Records); Helena Capps (Wildrose Projects); James Brown; Emilia James (ASCAP) and Cyndi Forman (UMPG). Photo: Hunter Hart

Hayes took the hallowed stage donning a Schott leather jacket designed by Dixon and Jack embroidered with artwork inspired by his debut EP, Last I Love You and inscripted with his nickname “The Lullaby Kid,” and performed two songs: “Home Sweet Home” and “LILY.”

“LILY” (an acronym for “Last I Love You”) struck a chord with listeners and became a viral hit, with global streams past the six million mark. Last I Love You fuses Americana and folk while bouncing between campfire ballads, cinematic soundscapes and rowdy barn-burners. A veteran of the US Navy Reserve, Hayes began applying the discipline of his military training to his work as a songwriter, amassing more than 900 original songs by his mid-twenties. Five of those songs appear on Last I Love You. 

Tyler Rich will release his sophomore album, Hello California, on March 7 via ONErpm.

Co-produced by fellow Californians Brad Hill and Lalo Guzman, the 10 track project highlights more of the signature style that Rich, originally from Yuba City, California, showcased on his debut album, combining personal storytelling with a sound that fuses his passion for country music and a hint of rock. The album features already released tracks “All The Small Things” and “Give Up To Get It.”

“This album has been a long time coming, and it’s my first chance to release music straight from the heart, with no limits,” shares Rich. “After ten years in Nashville, I’m grateful for the lessons I’ve learned, the relationships I’ve built, and the success that came from navigating the industry. Now, as an independent artist, I finally get to take the reins and do things my way.”

Rich co-wrote nine out of 10 tracks on Hello California, working alongside songwriters from Nashville and California, including Blake Bollinger, Parker Welling, Travis Wood and more.

Hello California gives a sneak peek into Rich’s evolving sound, with more music set to drop later this year. Rich will take to the road in March for “The Hello California Tour.” Stops along the 17-date trek include San Jose, New York City, Chicago and more, and also include’s a stop at Nashville’s Exit/In on April 10.

Hello California Track List:
1. “Hello California” (Casey Brown, Parker Welling, Tyler Rich)
2. “Gets Me Every Time” (Jason Massey, Travis Wood, Tyler Rich)
3. “Cigarettes (Lie To Me)” (Dylan Guthro, Lalo Guzman)
4. “Give Up to Get It” (Blake Bollinger, Steven Lee Olsen, Tyler Rich)
5. “All The Small Things” (Jason Gantt, Jason Nix, Tyler Rich)
6. “Whiskey Go Bad” (Blake Bollinger, Reid Isbell, Tyler Rich)
7. “What Do I Know” (Eric Paslay, Jason Massey, Tyler Rich)
8. “Right Tonight” (Casey Brown, Parker Welling, Tyler Rich)
9. “Drive Me Home” (Josh Mirenda, Michael Tyler, Tyler Rich)
10. “Home We Choose” (Emily Falvey, Lalo Guzman, Tyler Rich)

Kane Brown Kicks Off Season Six Of Amazon’s Country Heat

Kelly Sutton, Kane Brown and Amber Anderson

Kane Brown kicked off season six of Amazon’s Country Heat podcast hosted by Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson as the first guest, dishing on everything from fatherhood to tour secrets. Brown’s episode features endearing stories such as how his wife, Katelyn Jae, ended up being featured on album track, “Body Talk,” the songs he wrote for his children that are featured on his brand new album, The High Road, and what he is doing to gear up for his upcoming headline tour.

Josh Turner Celebrates Platinum Hits At Ryman Show

Pictured (L-R): Modern Management’s Ted Greene, Josh Turner and UMGN’s Cindy Mabe. Chris Hollo

Josh Turner recently played a sold-out headline show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, the first time he’s headlined the venue since his sold-out show in 2021. Before the show, Turner was presented with three plaques celebrating RIAA certifications by CEO and Chair of UMG Nashville, Cindy Mabe. The plaques commemorate Turner’s hits “Why Don’t We Just Dancc” being certified three-times Platinum and “Long Black Train” being certified double-Platinum. His album Haywire was also certified Platinum.

“Wow! What a great night at the Mother Church of Country Music!” says Turner. “Sold out show, Tim McGraw’s mama was in attendance, Mike Wolfe of American Pickers was there, my family and lots of friends, and to top it off, my label presented me with three plaques! Thank you to all you fans for making this possible!”

Kelsey Hart Marks ‘Life With You’ Milestones

Kelsey Hart celebrates new plaque

Curb Records recording artist Kelsey Hart, the Curb Records team and Riverwood Entertainment recently celebrated the milestones of Hart’s debut single, “Life With You,” including 115 million global streams, 600 million views, one million TikTok creates, 500,000 consumption units, 160 million airplay audience and a No. 1 on SiriusXM’s The Highway Hot 30 Weekend Countdown.

Lexi Lampkin Joins Opry Entertainment Group Artist Relations Team

Lexi Lampkin

Lexi Lampkin has joined Opry Entertainment Group’s Artist Relations team. After graduating from Washington University, Lampkin worked in Brand Partnerships at William Morris Endeavor before joining Universal Pictures as Global Special Projects and Events Coordinator. She then moved to Dick Clark Productions where she served as Talent Relations Manager, working on talent and artist bookings across a variety of shows including the Academy of Country Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, Golden Globes and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.

New Label Concept Prairy Launches

Prairy, a new label concept that is changing the way artists fund, create and share their work with the world, has launched. The company is focused on speed in all ways—closing and funding deals and servicing artist needs. Free of the traditional chains that weigh down legacy music companies and without a physical office, Prairy employs a San Francisco venture style organizational model that celebrates speed, iteration and flexibility, allowing it to invest freely in what matters to its artists and partners—operational agility, transparency and support. The new company has already assembled a diverse roster of artists including Dylan Espeseth, .idk., Ri Wavey, Nicole Amoroso, yurms and imprint partnerships with Trench House and others. prairy team members are strategically located throughout the U.S. and Canada, including Los Angeles, Nashville, New York and Atlanta.

“The system is broken, and we think there’s a better way,” says Scott Lewis, Prairy founder. “The music industry is accustomed to schedules set by the month—we prefer to get things done in days, not weeks.”