Sam Gay

The debate over streaming fraud and passive listening has intensified as chart milestones continue to be compared with records established during the vinyl, cassette and CD eras. Industry studies, platform disclosures and independent audits now suggest that modern music charts measure a fundamentally different consumer activity than the charts that once tracked physical purchases, raising questions about whether meaningful comparisons can be made across generations.

by Paul Cashmere The modern music charts used by ARIA, Billboard and the UK's Official Charts Company now measure an entirely different form of consumer behaviour than the charts of the vinyl, cassette and CD eras. While chart headlines frequently compare contemporary streaming milestones with historical sales achievements, industry analysts increasingly acknowledge that the two systems are built on fundamentally incompatible metrics.

The music industry's move away from the physical single helped create record revenues at the end of the 1990s, but many analysts argue the same strategy accelerated the collapse of the traditional music business and permanently changed how audiences consume music.

Ed Sheeran has confirmed he has left Warner Music after 15 years, closing a relationship that took him from pub gigs and sofa surfing to becoming one of the most commercially successful recording artists of the streaming era.

Kylie Minogue's rise from Australian television actor to international pop star did not happen by accident. Her 25 year partnership with manager Terry Blamey shaped one of the most durable careers in modern pop and created a model for taking Australian talent to the world stage. For whatever reason, the following story is ignored in the new Kylie Netflix documentary.

Tash Sultana has signed the first global label partnership of their career, entering an exclusive worldwide recording agreement with BMG after nearly a decade of building an international audience independently.

Dave Grohl has revealed he personally hid advance copies of Foo Fighters' new album across San Fernando Valley, creating a grassroots scavenger hunt that reflects the band's long-standing DIY ethos.