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Music News
Music Biz Headlines: Why Record Labels are Suing AI Music Companies
Also this week: Celine Dion donates to Stiff Person Syndrome research, Canadian summer festivals across the country, why Avril Lavigne matters, Glastonbury highlights and more.
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Avril Lavigne Appointed to the Order of Canada
The Canadian superstar has been given one of the country's highest honours, in the same month as she's released her first greatest hits compilation album of fan favourites, accompanied by a tour set for August. – Rosie Long Decter, Billboard Canada
Avril Lavigne has the Order of Canada. Here’s Why Canada’s Pop-Punk Princess Still Matters
Her debut record sold over 16 million copies when she was still a teen. But her outsized cultural impact continues to this day. – Richie Assaly, Toronto Star
Celine Dion Donates $2 Million to Hospital Researching Stiff Person Syndrome
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The 56-year-old singer was forced to stop performing following her 2022 diagnosis of the rare condition. –BANG! Showbiz
Aengus Finnan's musical journey will end in mid-September on Vancouver Island. – Nick Krewen, Toronto Star
Busterfest, a Benefit Concert For Local music Vet Clyde Hill, is Coming to The Rickshaw
Clyde “Buster” Hill is a music manager and industry fixture in Vancouver. He is currently battling pancreatic cancer, which has united the Vancouver music community in support. A benefit concert dubbed Busterfest is set to take over the Rickshaw on July 27. – Vicki Duong, Georgia Straight
350 Concerts On Tap as Montreal Jazz Fest Kicks Off
The 44th edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival is now under way. Over 10 days there will be 350 concerts taking place in the heart of downtown, the majority of them free. This year's lineup includes some big names, including Norah Jones, Orville Peck and Andre 3000. – CTV News
Jazz Fest Co-founder's Dreams of a Quebec Woodstock Transformed Downtown Montreal
"We believed naively that music could change the world ... as young hippies. But in the end, we did change downtown Montreal," Alain Simard says. – Brendan Kelly, Montreal Gazette
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Classical music: Bellingham Music Festival Kicks Off with New Director and 5 Summer Concerts
A focus on continuity and renewal as new festival director Marcelo Lehninger launches his first summer series. – D.G. Duke, Postmedia
The latest in new music from local Edmonton artists. – Chad Huculak, Edmonton Journal
Tom Cochrane, Billy Talent to Headline Port Colborne, Ontario’s Canal Days
Life’s highway is bringing Canadian rock icon Tom Cochrane to Port Colborne’s Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival. Also headlining the event’s civic holiday weekend concert series (Aug. 2-5) is rock band Billy Talent. – Dave Johnson, Welland Tribune
Edmonton Jazz Festival: How Organizers are Highlighting Local Talent, and Big Acts To See
The pyramid has successfully flipped with this year’s Edmonton International Jazz Festival. – Tom Murray, Edmonton Journal
Barra MacNeils to Kick Off Sydney, Nova Scotia's Makin' Waves Concert Series
The East Coast Celtic music favourites launch the series on July 4. – Saltwire
Chillin’ in the Park is a New Free Music and Beer Festival in Mount Pleasant, Vancouver
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This summer, the Mount Pleasant BIA is adding to Guelph Park's cachet with Chillin’ in the Park: a new music and beer festival launching on July 27. The one-day event features local indie bands and musicians, including Fionn. –Vicki Duong, Georgia Straight
International
A Warning Sign? Sweden has Fewer Paying Music Subscribers Than it Did 2 Years Ago
The recorded music industry is bullish on increasing the prices of premium streaming services in key markets. However, a new survey from a traditionally important streaming market, Sweden, may give the wider music industry some pause for thought. – Music Business Worldwide
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Denis Ladegaillerie has Believe Back in His Arms – and He’s Eyeing a Huge Acquisition
Prediction: the recorded music industry is likely to see at least one $1 billion-plus acquisition of a distribution and services player over the next 12-24 months. Surprise: the company behind said acquisition could well be Believe. – Music Business Worldwide
BET Awards 2024: Usher is Honoured, Will Smith Returns, and the Election is Top of Mind
Usher accepted the lifetime achievement award at the 2024 BET Awards — even if the superstar mused it might be a bit early. – Maria Sherman, Associated Press
Record Labels are Suing Artificial-Intelligence Companies. Here’s Why That’s Important
The monopolization of the digital economy, in which streaming platforms reap most of the profit, has overhauled the music industry and made it harder than ever before for artists to make money. – Vass Bednar, The Globe and Mail
Diplo Accused of Distributing Revenge Porn in New Lawsuit
The suit claims that the electronic music producer distributed sexual images and videos of her without her consent. His representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. – August Brown, LA Times
From K-poppers Seventeen to performance artist Marina Abramović, via Cyndi Lauper and Little Simz, it was one of the most diverse editions yet. But the real fireworks came with a band who have taken things to another level. – Alexis Petridis, The Guardian
Glastonbury Festivalgoers Frustrated by Overcrowding at Smaller Stages
Fans angry after being turned away from Sugababes show while Bicep set halted over safety concerns. – Jessica Murray, The Guardian
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