The Music Biz in 2025: Smoke, Mirrors & Millions

 Let’s not sugarcoat shit—the music industry is a goddamn circus right now. Between billion-dollar corporations fumbling the bag, artists getting shafted by streaming services, and AI crawling up everyone's creative crack, there’s plenty to talk about. So buckle the fuck up.

 Live Nation Revenue 2025: Big Numbers, Bigger Bullshit

Live Nation just dropped their Q1 report and it's a mixed bag of "hey we’re still rich" and "oops, we missed the mark." Their revenue slid 11% to $3.38 billion, which still sounds impressive until you realize they missed projections. Why? Because people are finally waking up. Inflation’s kicking ass, and no one wants to drop $300 to stand in the nosebleeds and watch Post Malone stumble around like a confused NPC. (source)

 Diddy Allegations & the Music Industry’s Ugly Underbelly

Now let’s talk about the elephant in the fucking room—Diddy. Over 70 people have come forward accusing this industry heavyweight of everything from abuse to straight-up criminal behavior. And you know what’s worse? The enablers. The handlers. The people who knew and kept quiet to protect their own bag. This isn't an isolated incident—this is how the music business has operated for decades. The reckoning is here, and it’s about goddamn time. (source)

 AI Music in 2025: The Double-Edged Dick of Innovation

Look, we love tech. We are tech. But AI in music? That shit’s got fangs. On one hand, it’s unlocking insane possibilities—customized soundscapes, auto-mastering tools, collabs with artists long gone. On the other hand, it’s making it easier than ever to rip off creators, automate mediocrity, and kill the soul of music one click at a time. AI can’t feel pain. AI doesn’t fuck up on stage and make it beautiful. Music made by machines is like sex with a robot—sure, you can do it, but where’s the fucking magic? (source)

 Music Streaming in 2025: King of the Hill, Thief in the Night

Streaming now rules the revenue pie—69% of global music dollars. That’s over $20 billion. Sounds sexy until you look under the hood and see artists getting pennies while Spotify execs buy Teslas for their Teslas. The average indie musician is basically crowdfunding their own poverty. We’ve got to stop pretending that this model works. It works for the platform, not the people actually bleeding into the mic. (source)

 Kendrick Lamar 2025 Tour: Still Runs the Fucking World

And in case you forgot what real artistry looks like, Kendrick Lamar’s headlining Australia’s Spilt Milk festival. That’s not just a flex, that’s proof that greatness still cuts through the noise. While half the charts are AI-assisted TikTok clones, Kendrick’s out here being a goddamn poet, reminding us why we fell in love with music in the first place. (source)
Still not a huge fan of his new beats but... is what it is...

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Final Thoughts:

 The industry’s changing. Fast. And not all of it’s good. The suits are still running the table, the tech bros are replacing artists with algorithms, and abusers are being exposed in real time.

But there’s also you. Us. The loud ones. The independent creators. The ones with no backing, no filters, and no fear. The underground is rising. People are listening differently. They’re searching for something real.

So make your music. Say your piece. Burn the safe shit to the fucking ground.

Texas Blood Money Media’s watching. The future belongs to the bold.

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