The US Department of Justice is suing to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster, and it could transform live music

After years of Ticketmaster and Live Nation dominating the industry – and fans paying the price – the US government has finally stepped in.

Collective archives, human curation, and what we really lose when we lose MixesDB

As users mourn the closure of MixesDB, questions arise about the precarity of digital cultural archives, and the hidden histories they contain.

M1onTheBeat is connecting forces

M1onTheBeat’s steely yet melodic productions have come to define an era of UK drill and seen him crowned a star in his own right. Now, the game-changing producer wants to pay it forward

Jam City is living 3 a.m. eternal

Jam City’s 2012 debut album rerouted UK club music, but a series of stylistic heel-turns and A-list collaborations defined the years that followed. Now, the producer is returning to his roots to celebrate the transcendent quality of a messy night out

Mr. Mitch is in a lane of his own making

We meet the hardest-working man in UK club music for Issue 132

James Blake

808s and heartbreak: What happens when your song gets played on Love Island?

We talk to the show’s supervisors about how they source music for the soundtrack, and what this means for the artists involved

Susan Rogers and the unsung geniuses of the recording studio

Five figures from different worlds ensuring that, when the music gets to your ears, it sounds as good as possible

Podcast: On The Floor – Music Venues Beyond 2020

An audio report on British venues featuring Brixton’s Windmill, The Polar Bear in Hull, Manchester’s Soup Kitchen and more

The Streets

Ital Tek

Nazar

Moses Boyd

Dan Deacon

Youth clubbing: Inside a new generation of London studios

We meet the people fighting political indifference, industry apathy and public funding cuts to secure a brighter future for young people in the capital

Britain’s rap revolution

The 2010s have been a dramatic time for Britain’s rappers and MCs. We trace the journey of UK rap through the decade – from grime’s identity crisis to Glastonbury fame and accolades

Whose master’s voice? Why artists need to take ownership in the age of independence

With rumblings about master rights and money troubles in the music industry growing louder, artists need to be more aware of their ownership options than ever before

Myspace’s server error reveals the danger that lies in entrusting tech companies with our cultural histories

The social media platform changed how a whole generation of fans discovered music. Now it may have destroyed how it’s remembered too

10 Compilations and Reissues You Might Have Missed in 2018

Here, we recap some of the best compilations and reissues that may have slipped through the cracks this year

Spotify Unwrapped: how the streaming service’s end of year campaign has highlighted its bot problem

Spotify Wrapped has been met with equal parts joy and ire this year. But the year-end results have also highlighted another problem for Spotify: bots.

Greener rooms: how is the music industry responding to the environmental impact of touring?

From digital experiences to fronting climate change campaigns, we explore the different avenues in which artists can reduce their carbon footprint

Here’s everything we learned from Janelle Monáe‘s private London listening party last night

Will Pritchard reports back from Monáe’s previewing of ‘Dirty Computer’ in Soho

Nils Frahm brings the Funkhaus to London’s Barbican Hall

Murlo

Lil Yachty coasts while Migos fly at Brixton Academy

Joey Bada$$

Jorja Smith entrances the Snapchat generation with timeless soul

Aesthetic:
Jorja Smith

She may have only just finished school but this ascendant soul singer is poised for stardom. Smith opens up to Will Pritchard in our extended fashion editorial

Turning Points:
Flava D

Grime has always been a fiercely independent music scene, from Wiley selling white labels out…