There is a consensus on the stagnation of the smartphone market. Improvements in processors or megapixels do not hide one reality – they are just hand-carried touchscreen devices. What kind of devices will we start using in this decade as an alternative to handle new approaches such as mixed reality? It looks like augmented reality, or AR glasses, could be the key. In one of their latest iterations, AR glasses from a Chinese company promise to translate the environment and offer music in a piece of hardware close to conventional glasses.
What are AR or augmented reality glasses?
Augmented reality or AR consists of a digital information overlay – including text and images – on a real-world view. Real images can be seen in a mediated form, as in the case of a cell phone screen, or directly, through the lenses of a pair of glasses.
In the case of AR glasses, it is usual to include a screen or to use projection mechanisms on the lens so that virtual and real images merge for perceptual purposes. In theory, this approach should be more effective, as the user can be hands-free and move around the everyday environment without hindrance. One of the earliest examples of this technology was the late Google Glass.
How do they differ from virtual reality?
And that is mainly the difference between AR glasses and a VR headset. In the case of augmented reality glasses, the user interacts with the environment and can carry out their daily activities. In contrast, virtual reality offers a fully immersive experience beyond physical reality.
In practice, however, the boundaries of AR goggles and VR headsets are not so clear-cut. New prototypes of AR glasses, such as the one being developed by Meta, allow the lens to be darkened, thus providing a virtual reality experience. At the same time, wireless VR glasses with built-in cameras can display physical reality combined with virtual elements.
A pair of glasses to translate reality
All the experts agree that ergonomics and ease of use will be critical to the mass adoption of AR glasses. The new model presented by a Chinese company at CES 2023 is a step in that direction. They are still somewhat bulkier than classic glasses, but a user could wear them daily.
These AR glasses integrate a proprietary processor similar to the latest generation of cell phones, two micro-LED screens with Full HD resolution, and a 1000 nits brightness, which in theory, allows them to operate indoors and outdoors at different times of the day. However, the most exciting aspect is their applications.
The company claims that the glasses integrate an AI system that can translate conversations with other people in real-time. That is to say, while the interlocutor is speaking, the lenses show their words translated as in a subtitled movie.
Apart from that, the model incorporates GPS functionalities that make it possible to identify buildings and monuments in the environment. And, thanks to a Bluetooth connection, it can also display notifications received on the cell phone, such as messages or alerts. Finally, it allows listening to music and taking pictures to share them directly on social networks. And all of this is managed through a gestural interface.
Other applications of AR glasses
The first applications of AR glasses have focused on professional environments. And, probably, the ability to solve simple tasks more efficiently will be the main selling point on their path to mass adoption. For now, AR glasses are excelling in applications such as these:
Construction. In architectural environments, whether in the design phase or on-site, being able to access 3D views of models and construction elements can significantly speed up processes.
Maintenance in industrial environments. Receiving hands-free assistance on parts or breakdowns in real-time is an excellent support for operators, as this AR project applied to water management
Logistics management. The use of AR glasses can improve the agility with which products and parcels are managed in a warehouse for the purposes of locating and moving them.
Surgery. If there is one environment where having your hands free is critical, it is surgery. Having vital signs indications or alerts in the middle of an operation can be of great help to surgeons.
Video games. This is one of the most prominent applications since it can show characters or game elements combined with real environments, as is the case of Pokemon Go.
In addition to AR glasses, another avenue for exploring augmented reality is smart contact lenses, a promising technology that also brings challenges.
There are some troubling market signs for the recorded music business in India… and the message from global recorded music trade body IFPI today (August 20) is that now, not tomorrow, is the time to start fixing them.
Last year, India’s streaming-dominated recorded music market grew by less than 3% YoY. Subscription streaming was up double-digits, but still generated around a quarter of the revenue from ad-supported platforms (audio plus video).
(These are ballpark figures from IFPI’s essential 2025 Global Music Report. If you want the full stats… you can buy it here.)
Today, IFPI revealed another stark statistic: just 20 million of India’s 192 million current music streaming users pay for subscriptions – not far above 10% of them.
Those 192 million music streaming users, in turn, make up just 13% of India’s 1.45 billion population.
Such numbers were not far from the mind of IFPI CEO Victoria Oakley this morning (August 20) during a keynote presentation at the All About Music conference in Mumbai.
Oakley warned that India’s music industry must tackle significant challenges to secure its future, despite its “extraordinary potential” to drive the next wave of global growth.
She praised India’s rich musical heritage spanning classical traditions to Punjabi folk, filmi soundtracks and Indian pop, while highlighting the transformative role of streaming and digital distribution in making music more accessible than ever.
However, the IFPI chief pointed to several risks threatening sustainable growth, including the misuse of generative AI, streaming fraud, and the overwhelming dominance of free, ad-supported streaming over paid subscriptions.
“Music has worth, and paying for it sustains the artists and cultures we love. The decisions we make now will shape the next decade of music.”
Victoria Oakley, IFPI
“These risks are real,” Oakley said. “Music has worth, and paying for it sustains the artists and cultures we love. The decisions we make now will shape the next decade of music.”
In a press release issued today, IFPI confirmed that Oakley outlined three key priorities for India’s future development in recorded music. Those priorities included: “Growing paid streaming: Shifting away from ad-funded models toward a value-driven, subscription-led future.”
The other two priorities highlighted by Oakley were:
Strengthening collaboration: Bringing together labels, platforms, creators and governments to tackle streaming fraud and build AI safeguards.
Championing regional diversity: Supporting music in local languages and styles to deepen connections at home and abroad.
“We must choose a path that values creativity, protects human expression, and champions fairness for everyone in the industry,” Oakley added.
“We must never forget that music is made by people, for people. Behind every track is a story, a burst of imagination, a struggle, a desire to share. That is what makes this industry powerful – and that is why it is worth protecting.
“So, as India continues to rise as a global music powerhouse, let us work together as labels, platforms, governments, and fans – to build a future where music is valued and celebrated.”
“as India continues to rise as a global music powerhouse, let us work together as labels, platforms, governments, and fans – to build a future where music is valued and celebrated.”
Victoria Oakley, IFPI
As part of IFPI’s commitment to the Indian market, Oakley confirmed the organization is working with local partners, Indian affiliates of major international record companies, and both local and global digital service providers to launch official charts in India.
For the first time, these charts will include both international and domestic repertoire, alongside dedicated official local-language charts designed to reflect the breadth of India’s musical landscape.
Governed by IFPI’s global best practice, they aim to provide a trusted benchmark to measure the market, celebrate artist success, and ensure that India’s regional voices are recognized nationally and globally.
Industry transformation challenges
The Indian market’s transformation reflects broader global trends in music consumption, but with unique characteristics.
According to Comscore data cited in an Ernst & Young (EY) report earlier this year, Indian adults aged 35 and over spend an average of 80 minutes per day on the platform.
Indeed, YouTube’s reach in India today surpasses 800 million people, according to Sensor Tower data also cited in the report.
Ernst & Young’s report suggested that the total number of on-demand music streaming users in India declined from 185 million to 175 million in 2024.
One reason for this, it posited, is certain streaming platforms limiting free-tier features, with Gaana and Hungama now operating as “entirely pay” services, making them inaccessible to non-paying users.Music Business Worldwide
US celebrity judge and social media star Frank Caprio has died aged 88, his family has said.
His death following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer was announced on his official Instagram account, where he was remembered for his “warmth” and “unwavering belief in the goodness of people”.
David Caprio, his son, thanked fans for their love and support and urged people to “spread a little kindness” in his father’s memory.
Beloved for his compassion and humour in the courtroom, videos of Judge Caprio presiding over cases on his hit show Caught in Providence have had billions of views on social media, earning him the title the “nicest judge in the world”.
In an the Instagram statement to his 3.4 million followers, Judge Caprio was remembered for the “countless acts of kindness he inspired”.
“His warmth, humour, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him,” the statement said.
Judge Caprio had presided over thousands of cases in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island before embarking on a TV career.
The company behind Caught in Providence, Debmar-Mercury, paid tribute to Judge Caprio’s “unique brand of compassion and common sense approach”.
“We will miss him dearly,” co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said in a statement.
During its run, Caught in Providence was nominated for three Daytime Emmys, with Judge Caprio earning two of his own nominations last year.
His signature courtroom style produced viral clips ranging from him inviting children to sit with him behind the bench during cases, to announcing a “mini-judge” plushie of himself.
A TikTok video showcasing his morning routine – brushing his teeth, signing his book and watching videos of his own show – has had more than 5m views.
In an 2019 interview, Judge Caprio said his courtroom proceedings “show a slice of life of Rhode Island that is very interesting, and it reflects the same issues people are experiencing nationwide”.
After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023, Judge Caprio said he was “fully prepared to fight as hard I can” and thanked followers for their support.
In one of his last social media posts, Judge Caprio announced he was back in hospital after suffering a “setback” in his treatment and asked his followers for their prayers.
Judge Caprio is survived by his wife, Joyce Caprio, of almost 60 years, their five children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
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Without access to the site, it may be quite some time before outside experts can gauge exactly how seriously Fordo was damaged, though a recent U.S. assessment described it as badly damaged. But a look at the bomb used and the facility’s structure, as well as an assessment of the site’s geology, offers some clues.
The bomb
Ballistics and blast experts describe the GBU-57 as akin to a giant bullet. Dropped from a B-2 bomber, the 30,000-pound bomb, which includes more than 5,000 pounds of explosives, hits the ground at around supersonic speed before detonating.
As powerful as it is, even a bomb like the GBU-57 is not certain to destroy a hardened target buried deep in the rock of a mountainside, experts say.
Note: Ranges are approximate and based on a homogenous limestone-like material without air cavities or concrete structures. In ignimbrite, a type of volcanic rock that several geologists say may be found at Fordo, one estimate showed the first bomb could fall within limestone ranges, though further estimates were not available.
Source: Estimates for The New York Times by Raymond Daddazio, senior consultant and president emeritus at Thornton Tomasetti, an engineering and applied science firm
A rough estimate shows that a 30,000-pound projectile moving faster than the speed of sound would travel at most five to 10 meters — up to around 35 feet — into several common types of rock, including those most likely found at Fordo, said Ryan Hurley, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins and an expert on the behavior of rocks in extreme conditions. Most estimates put Fordo’s depth at somewhere between 260 and 360 feet.
Fractures left by the first blast could allow subsequent bombs to reach deeper, but just how far is hard to predict.
Mr. Hurley and other experts said that a precise calculation of the damage was impossible without advanced computer simulations, classified data on real-world tests, the exact speed and shape of the bomb, and extensive knowledge of Fordo’s structure and the geology of the site.
The ventilation shafts
When the strike planners looked for vulnerabilities in Fordo’s structure, they zeroed in on the ventilation shafts that open to the mountainside above the bunker, which would allow them to avoid trying to blast their way through the hard rock above the facility.
The main shafts did not go straight down, said a Defense Department official familiar with the decision making, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters. They zigged and zagged somewhat at the top, meaning that the path to the bunker was not a straight shot until toward the end.
The exact shape of the ventilation shafts was unclear, but angles would mean the bombs would encounter a combination of rock and open tunnels. Planners decided that they would need multiple bombs.
Each of the shafts opened to a trident shape at the top, according to a June 26 Pentagon briefing. In both locations, the aim was to blow off a concrete cap with one bomb and drop five more down the main shaft.
The geology
The damage that a GBU-57 — or a succession of them — causes depends on the geology at the point of impact.
Several geologists consulted by The New York Times said that an Iranian survey of the Fordo area, published in 2020 in Geopersia, an academic journal from the University of Tehran, indicates that the rock there consists largely of ignimbrite, a type of volcanic rock.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Note: A more detailed geological survey published in Geopersia about the area surrounding Fordo further specified the type of volcanic rock as ignimbrite.
“Ignimbrite is a great thing to dig into,” said Yizhaq Makovsky, a geoscientist and associate professor at the University of Haifa in Israel. He said that the ancient, subterranean dwellings in Cappadocia, in central Turkey, were carved into ignimbrite. Some of those structures have multiple levels, connecting tunnels and hundreds of entrances.
The precise grade, or hardness, of the ignimbrite around Fordo is unclear, Professor Makovsky said, but as in Cappadocia, the material probably made it easier to build an underground bunker. Visually, the ignimbrite around Fordo appears to be relatively soft, he said, but closer study would be required to be certain.
Ignimbrite offered another advantage for the Iranians, he said. Because it is relatively porous, it may act to tamp down damaging shock waves, like those from the American bombs. In that way, he said, ignimbrite may act like “sacks of sand around old forts, put up to stop the bullets.”
Nick Glumac, an engineering professor and explosives expert at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said there was little doubt about the cushioning effect of ignimbrite, or volcanic tuff.
“Tuff is well known in the blast community as a very efficient absorber of energy — one of the absolute best,” Professor Glumac said. “Porous materials like that are used in many applications to limit the damage zone associated with blast from a high explosive.”
The facility
The Fordo complex also had multiple stories, the Defense Department official said, increasing the number of bombs the United States calculated it needed to use to destroy the centrifuges and other equipment.
And the bunker could have been protected in other ways.
Iran is a major producer of concrete, and Iranian researchers have published papers on concrete mixed with minuscule steel fibers and other strengthening materials. By forming a bridge across tiny cracks when the concrete is stressed, the fibers can make concrete more resistant to blasts or impact, said Clay Naito, a professor of structural engineering at Lehigh University whose research focuses on the performance of reinforced concrete.
“The use of fibers can double or triple the tensile strength, and allow the cracks to remain stable,” Professor Naito said. “That keeps the concrete together to a much greater extent.”
How much it helps depends on the power of the blast and the specific mix of concrete, he said. It’s unclear whether the Iranians put this material into Fordo, but he said it had become routine in the United States to spray concrete on the inside of tunnels with steel fibers as a layer of protection and structural support.
More elaborate approaches might involve steel plates to help absorb the shock of an explosion or keep concrete shards from flying off the walls and damaging equipment or injuring personnel.
Some of the protective measures in place at Fordo are known. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency have over the years described thick-walled chambers separated by heavy, blast-resistant doors.
The variables
So, how badly was Fordo damaged? A lot depends on how close to the facility any of the bombs detonated. But with so many variables — and so many unknowns — it may be difficult to ever really be certain.
The bombs probably did not reach the centrifuge chambers themselves, although analysts are still conducting detailed assessments, the Defense Department official said. The goal, the official said, was to use the shock waves and other effects of the explosions to destroy the centrifuges.
If the bombs did not reach the bunker itself, the explosions could still have caused major damage if they took place just outside it or in a ventilation shaft.
In that case, there would be some structural damage where the shock waves hit. “And then as we get into the broader tunnels and further out, it’s having a damaging effect on equipment,” said Andrew Nicholson, a director of Viper Applied Science, an Edinburgh-based company that develops blast simulation software and studies the effects of extreme loads on structures.
If one or more bombs did manage to reach the bunker, the damage, however significant, might still be limited.
“I would think it would toast everything pretty substantially,” said Peter McDonald, another director at Viper.
But as devastating as a blast in the confined space of the bunker would have been for the equipment, Mr. McDonald added, he would not expect a full collapse of Fordo. Structural damage would most likely be limited to areas near the explosion.
Damage depends on where the bombs detonated
Professor Hurley, the Johns Hopkins mechanical engineering expert, said that the Pentagon’s overall approach appeared to have been sound.
“I would say that if they studied the geology and ventilation shafts as carefully as reported, then it’s likely that they did very significant damage,” he said.
That’s consistent with the growing confidence of American officials that the strike badly damaged Fordo and wiped out its array of centrifuges.
But Jon B. Wolfsthal, the director of global risk at the Federation of American Scientists and an arms control official in the White House during the Obama and Biden administrations, said that how much the U.S. strike on Fordo set back Iran’s nuclear program would depend on precisely how the shock waves and other effects of the blast tore through the bunker.
“If it’s a shock wave,” Mr. Wolfsthal said, “there’s a lot of things there that are being recovered. If it’s more of a fiery blast, and everything’s been destroyed, there’s probably very little. But until we know that, I can’t do an effective calculation for how much might be left and how much can be salvaged.”
London, United Kingdom – Hundreds of business leaders in the United Kingdom – including a former adviser to the king and a sustainability consultant descended from Holocaust survivors – are calling on the government to take action against Israel as the crisis in Gaza worsens.
As of Thursday morning, 762 people had signed a statement calling on Britain to cease all arms trade with Israel, sanction those accused of violating international law – ostensibly including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he is wanted for arrest by International Criminal Court, invest in screening to stop the UK financing “complicit” companies, and enforce the United Nations’ principles on business and human rights across the UK’s economic systems.
“We see this not only as a moral imperative, but as a matter of professional responsibility – consistent with our duty to act in the best interests of long-term societal and economic resilience,” the letter reads. “The UK must ensure that no business – whether through products, services, or supply chains – is contributing to these atrocities, directly or indirectly.”
Among the signatories are the former royal adviser Jonathon Porritt CBE; sustainability consultant Adam Garfunkel; Frieda Gormley, the founder of the luxury interior design brand House of Hackney; the prominent philanthropist who once led Unilever, Paul Polman; and Geetie Singh-Watson MBE, an organic food entrepreneur – as well as other professionals who have been honoured with the Member of the British Empire (MBE) award.
They have pledged to support the UK government with an “ongoing process of reflection and action – reviewing our operations, supply chains, financial flows, and influence to help foster peace, uphold human rights, and strengthen respect for international law”.
“Business cannot succeed in societies that are falling apart,” said Polman. “It is time for business leaders to show courage, speak out, and use our influence to uphold international law.”
The number of professionals signing the letter is growing as Palestinians in the Gaza Strip face their darkest days. Israel is beginning a feared invasion into Gaza City while thousands endure hunger and famine due to the blockade of the Strip.
[Courtesy of Adam Garfunkel]
“We need as businesses to justify our existence and to recognise that all people everywhere deserve to be treated fairly,” Garfunkel told Al Jazeera. “My family was caught up in the Holocaust. My father was lucky enough to escape with his brother and his parents to the UK. My great grandparents were taken to the woods and shot and buried in a mass grave, and what I’ve taken from that is a strong belief that everyone matters, that everyone has human rights, that persecution on the basis of ethnic identity is always wrong, wherever it happens.”
Israel’s latest war on Gaza, termed a genocide by leading rights groups, has killed more than 60,000 people in the 22 months since October 7, 2023, when Hamas led an incursion into southern Israel, during which about 1,200 were killed and 250 taken captive – “grave crimes under international law”, according to the letter.
“However, the Israeli government’s ongoing military campaign amounts to an unrelenting and indefensible assault on civilians, breaching both moral boundaries and the core principles of the Geneva Conventions,” it added.
Porritt, who counselled King Charles on environmental issues for 30 years when the monarch held the Prince of Wales title and has chaired a sustainable development commission set up by former Prime Minister Tony Blair, said the letter reflects the role of businesses in society at a critical time.
“It’s just become so much clearer over the course of the last few months that this situation now is completely intolerable. And it constitutes very specifically a genocide against the people of Palestine, of Gaza,” he told Al Jazeera.
Businesses are obliged to be supportive in “achieving and maintaining” human rights in the countries in which they’re trading, he said. “That provides a very strong steer as to why individual business leaders need to get involved at this stage.”
Porritt has recently made headlines in the British media for his support of Palestine Action, a protest group that was proscribed by the UK government weeks ago as a terrorist organisation.
He was among the more than 500 citizens arrested during an August 9 rally in London, where he raised a banner reading, “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
Over 280 million Southeast Asians, about 40% of the region’s population, identify as Muslim. That’s spawned demand for goods and services that cater to a more Islamic lifestyle. It’s more than just halal food: Muslim consumers also demand more modest fashion or cosmetics that don’t use pig-derived products or alcohol.
Even Southeast Asia’s finance sector is becoming more halal. Islamic finance in Southeast Asia totaled roughly $859 billion in 2023, up from $754 billion in 2020, according to a study from the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector and the London Stock Exchange Group.
Mambu, a cloud-native, software-as-a-service, composable core banking platform based in Amsterdam, wants to tap this growing market. “The Southeast Asian market, particularly Malaysia and Indonesia, is incredibly dynamic in terms of how they’ve grown in the Islamic banking space,” says David Becker, managing director and head of APAC sales at the firm.
The company already works with Southeast Asian clients like Bank Islam, Malaysia’s largest provider of shariah-compliant financial products, and Bank Jago, an Indonesian digital bank.
Courtesy of Mambu
Becker says that Islamic finance is growing just as quickly as traditional banking, and so Mambu hopes to provide tools to support shariah-compliant products like profit sharing.
Unlike in conventional banking, Islamic financial institutions must avoid companies that deal in products that are harmful or considered “haram”, like pork, alcohol, or gambling.
Islamic banks also can’t charge interest and so must instead generate a return through some other mechanism, like profit-sharing or leasing.
Becker is optimistic that Southeast Asia’s younger and more mobile-savvy population will gravitate towards digital financial solutions—and particularly those that reflect Islamic principles.
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country, is a clear target market for Islamic finance. Neighboring Malaysia, where two thirds of the population identify as Muslim, is another option. There are also significant Muslim populations across Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand.
Malaysia, the first country in the region to adopt Islamic finance, has “reached a peak” when it comes to growth, says Cedomir Nestorovic, a professor at the ESSEC Business School in Singapore who focuses on Islamic business. Instead, Indonesia offers more potential for retail banking and “takaful” insurance, a type that follows Islamic principles.
“There is plenty of room for progress in the country, so many companies want to come to Indonesia,” Nestorovic says.
Yet he cautions that Southeast Asia presents its own risks. For one, unlike the Middle East’s more homogenous market, Southeast Asia is more heterogenous, meaning businesses will need to tailor their offerings to an array of different economies, consumer bases and regulatory regimes.
Becker, from Mambu, acknowledges the challenges present in Southeast Asia, including the need to follow regulations. Yet the size of the opportunity outweighs the risks.
“We just see it growing and growing, and I think that’s a factor in why governments and regulators have been so supportive,” he says.
Watch: Moment redistricting bill is passed in the Texas House of Representatives
Texas legislators have approved new congressional maps designed to give Republicans an edge in next year’s elections for the US House of Representatives.
After a two-week standoff, where Democrats fled the state to stall the vote and rally supporters against the redistricting plans, Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives passed the new voting lines in an 88-52 vote.
The maps will now go to the Texas Senate, where they are expected to be swiftly approved.
They create five new Republican-leaning seats that would shore up the party’s US House majority in Washington DC. Democratic-led states are pushing to redraw their own maps to offset the Texas ones.
President Donald Trump backed redrawing the maps to safeguard a Republican majority in the US House.
Republicans hold a slim majority in the upper chamber of Congress, which Democrats aim to win back in the 2026 midterm elections.
Wednesday’s vote in Texas followed a dramatic showdown as Democrats fled across state lines to deny Republicans the quorum necessary in the state legislative body to take a vote.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, ordered their absent Democrats’ arrest, and some of them said law enforcement had monitored their homes while they were gone.
The lawmakers returned this week, saying they had achieved their objective of drawing national attention to the matter.
In an effort to ensure Democrats would not attempt to halt the vote again, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows ordered the statehouse chamber doors to be locked on Monday.
He also said Democrats would be “released into the custody” of a designated police officer to ensure they returned to the statehouse on Wednesday for the redistricting vote.
Several Democrats instead ripped up the written agreements that they were required to sign for the police escort. One lawmaker, Nicole Collier, decided to sleep in the chamber rather than be escorted by an officer.
Watch: What is gerrymandering? We use gummy bears to explain
In the time since Texas started planning these new voting maps, other states controlled by both political parties – including Florida, New York, Ohio and Missouri – have been weighing similar changes.
California lawmakers are currently debating new maps that would give new advantages to Democrats in five districts, which would cancel out changes made in Texas.
A key provision in California says the maps would only go into effect if Texas or other states went ahead with changes favouring Republicans.
After the vote on Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X: “It’s on, Texas.”
The new maps in Texas sparked uproar over gerrymandering – the redrawing of electoral boundaries to favour a political party – which is practised by both main parties and is legal unless ruled to be racially motivated.
Like other states, Texas typically redraws congressional districts once a decade when new population data is released by the US Census.
Texas Democrats claimed that redrawing the maps before the next population count in 2030 was being done along racial lines – an argument that has been rejected by Republicans.
Voting maps that were approved in 2021 after the last population count are still being litigated over claims of racial discrimination.
Getty Images
During one of the many heated exchanges during debate in the Texas statehouse, Republican legislator Todd Hunter, who introduced the redistricting bill, was applauded as he scolded Democrats.
“Don’t come into this body and say we didn’t include you,” he said. “You left us for 18 days, and that’s wrong.”
Democrats in the chamber questioned the legality of the maps and accused Republicans of trying to “steal” an election.
“Let’s talk about cowardice and cheats,” Democratic legislator Ann Johnson said.
“The root of all of this is around racism and power,” she added. “A pure power grab.”
Democrats and civil rights groups have said the new maps will dilute voting power from minorities, which would violate federal law, and have threatened to sue.
Performance rights organization BMI hailed its new agreement with radio broadcasters on Tuesday (August 19), declaring that it included its “largest rate increase ever” for royalties paid on music played on the air in the US.
Now, MBW can confirm it is indeed a whopper of a raise.
According to documents filed with the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, AM/FM radio stations will pay a headline rate of 2.14% of their gross revenue for a blanket license to play songs represented by BMI for 2022 and 2023, rising gradually to 2.20% for 2026-2029.
Given that the previous agreement between BMI and the radio stations represented by the Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) set a blanket fee rate of 1.78% for the 2017-2021 period, that means there will ultimately be a 23.6% increase in the rate radio stations pay for playing BMI-represented music on the air.
The vast majority of that money (around 85%) will be distributed to the songwriters and music publishers who own the publishing rights to the songs represented by BMI.
The agreement between BMI and the RMLC applies to 8,895 commercial radio stations.
It includes discounts for digital revenue made by radio stations in the gross revenue calculation: a 30% discount for revenue from display ads/sponsorships on the stations’ websites and apps, and a 25% discount for revenue made from stations’ streaming services.
In the US, radio stations pay royalties on song rights but not on rights to music recordings, meaning artists and labels aren’t paid for terrestrial radio broadcasts of their music.
BMI’s increase is likely to represent a not-insubstantial windfall for song copyright owners.
In June, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) said that US music publishing wholesale revenue hit $7.04 billion in 2024.
The NMPA estimates that 8% of that revenue came from radio, which implies around $563 million in US radio revenue for publishers in 2024.
Source: NMPA
Meanwhile, S&P Globalestimates that traditional radio stations in the US made $11.24 billion in ad revenue in 2024. (That figure includes talk and sports stations, as well as music-led networks.)
That said, terrestrial radio revenues in the US are shrinking as advertising dollars shift to digital.
The 2024 revenue was down 3.7% from the previous year, per S&P Global, which forecasts revenues will shrink further to $10.08 billion by 2029.
Shortly after BMI announced it had struck a deal with the RMLC, another major PRO – ASCAP – announced it too had struck a deal with the RMLC.
Court records show that ASCAP and the RMLC moved on August 15 to have their ongoing case over royalty rates dismissed, but the court filings didn’t disclose the terms of that agreement.
BMI and ASCAP are generally considered to be the two largest PROs operating in the United States, but the field has seen some new entrants in recent years, including Irving Azoff’s Global Music Rights (GMR). According to a report at Inside Radio, GMR’s own deal with radio stations may have influenced the BMI deal. The federal court adjudicating between BMI and the RMLC allowed GMR’s deal to be entered into evidence in the case.
Until recently, both BMI and ASCAP operated on a not-for-profit basis, and BMI itself was owned by a consortium of radio stations. However, in 2022 BMI switched to a for-profit model, and the following year, it announced it was being sold to private equity firm New Mountain Capital.Music Business Worldwide
