This year has been a difficult one for most creatives, who suffered a big blow due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the organisational side, concerts, festivals and awards ceremonies were postponed or made the transition to digital, which, in general, yielded less profits for those involved.

Music in Africa

In 2020, pop learned how much simple physical proximity affects music, and how to cope with isolation.

New York Times

These artists prove that the contemporary Afro-Brazilian music scene has never been so plural.

Okay Africa

Coup de projecteur sur le riche parcours d’un musicien appartenant sans conteste à une famille et une lignée où la musique s’apparente à l’oxygène que l’on respire.

L'Orient-Le Jour

Villancicos, aguinaldos, parrandas, gaitas y todo lo que signifique baile y alegría hacen el marco perfecto para la Navidad en Venezuela, un verdadero abanico de diversidad musical en el último mes del año.

Tele Sur

The superb Puerto Rican vocalist is now the most streamed artist on Spotify globally, but has never had a UK hit – something he’s determined to change.

The Guardian

The company announced Tuesday that Xiami Music will end February 5 "because of adjustments in business development." The news comes as the company co-founded by Jack Ma faces pressure from regulators on several fronts.

CNN

Bob Dylan, David Crosby and Stevie Nicks are joining the growing ranks of artists who are signing away the publishing rights to the songs they've written – even though that's widely considered to be the most lucrative aspect of the music industry.

Ultimate Classic Rock

Neighbouring rights is a burgeoning area of our industry and the lifeblood for many non-writers. Given the current state of our world, it is a vital component of an artists’ career.

Music Business Worldwide

Si elles se sont fait quelques frayeurs en début de pandémie, les plateformes de streaming sont restées les bouées de secours privilégiées de l'industrie musicale. Nettement moins celles des artistes... Bilan.

Focus Vif

Bad Bunny es el artista más escuchado en el mundo en la popular plataforma.

El País

All of us who are devoted to music education are facing new challenges due to the pandemic, and while we are lucky and grateful to have extraordinary technology at our disposal, it is undeniably frustrating to be isolated from each other, to deal with inadequate sound quality, poor connections, and time delays.

Oxford University Press

The year 2020 was tough for everyone — and unprecedented for the U.S. educational system, which was forced to go online overnight, with innumerable glitches at the start and long-term consequences that are still becoming clear.

The Washington Post

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of education for all disciplines, but it has presented unique challenges for music teachers. In addition to dealing with increased stress, we have had to navigate unique logistical challenges, like figuring out how to teach, rehearse, and perform in a virtual environment.

NAfME

Si le confinement de printemps n'a pas provoqué de décrochage massif, le reconfinement de novembre risque de durablement affecter établissements, enseignants et élèves.

France Musique

La pandemia ha transformado la educación, también habrá una renovación en los contenidos que se deben enseñar.

Siete24

A music video by Thailand’s foremost dissent rap group was blocked by YouTube as of Monday night.

Khaosod

Zimbabwean music mogul Munya Chanetsa felt his hackles rise when he learnt about the royalties battles that have been fought over the song Mbube - also known as The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

BBC

Imagine that you have a daughter who likes to play the piano and is enthusiastic about improving her musical skills and experience. She finds music lessons in your neighbourhood and asks you to let her attend. At her lessons she purchases a score and plays recent, popular songs on the piano with her teacher; but one day, someone knocks on the classroom door and states that the music lessons are infringing copyright.

IAM

Dans un pays où le désert domine le paysage, la scène musicale populaire du Niger est resté longtemps méconnue. C'est pourquoi il était formidable d'entendre Barakina sur l'émission phare de la BBC "This Is Africa". Un homme qui a de grandes ambitions pour son pays - et pour le continent.

BBC

Elegida por la BBC entre las 100 mujeres más influyentes de 2020, la solista habla con Culto de procesos sociales, su debut editorial y su intención de ir como constituyente.

La Tercera

From the stage at Carnegie Hall in 1912 to the streets of Minneapolis in 2020, jazz has always “demanded.” But not always in the same way.

Jazz Times

For those who have been operating in the music/tech sphere for the past year or so, there are few words and phrases that have hit a saturation point, and everyone is sick of hearing. Here, we look at a list terms that need a little time off from the lexicon.

HypeBot

How a single instrument defined the 1980s and beyond.

The Economist

Networking can be a challenging at the best of times, and when an industry is forced to go completely virtual it becomes harder than ever. Here we explore what networking actually means, and how to pull it off successfully online.

HypeBot

Faire revivre Ella Fitzgerald ou Elvis Presley grâce à l’intelligence artificielle, c’est amusant, mais qu’est-ce que cela implique pour l’industrie musicale ?

L'ADN

Un sistema de inteligencia artificial es capaz de acertar qué canciones llegarán al número uno de las listas.

La Vanguardia

A biologist and composer have turned the aurora borealis into sound to create a magic melding of art and nature.

The Guardian

In the 17th century, Nathaniel Giles had the right to conscript young singers into the British royal children’s choir. He and a business partner went a step further.

JStor

When we talk about reggaeton, hip-hop or trap, we automatically associate them with the urban genre. However... is it okay for us to say it that way? .

Latin American Post

Entre les effets du mouvement #musictoo et l’arrivée des algorithmes, Sony, Universal et Warner changent d’ère. Une nouvelle génération de dirigeants prend le pouvoir, parmi lesquels de plus en plus de femmes.

Le Monde

En las redes sociales, las resonancias de los superfanáticos ha sido mayor, lo que alimentó la competencia comercial, el comportamiento abusivo y otras batallas arcanas. ¿Cómo hemos llegado hasta aquí?

The New York Times

Here are the must-read music books of the year — from revealing memoirs to historical deep dives, from boy bands to the blues and beyond.

Rolling Stones