https://www.v-rma.com/blog/ Music business, artist growth, and live shows. Field notes from an Amsterdam studio. en https://www.v-rma.com/blog/organize-music-files-and-assets-for-releases/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/organize-music-files-and-assets-for-releases/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Music Business How to organize music files and assets for releases: a clear folder system for masters, artwork, and metadata so you find any file in seconds. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/communicate-with-your-music-team-remotely/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/communicate-with-your-music-team-remotely/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Music Business The best way to communicate with your music team remotely: clear channels, fewer calls, and simple rules so nothing gets lost across time zones. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/verknipt-2026-breaking-patterns-restricted/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/verknipt-2026-breaking-patterns-restricted/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Hard Techno The Dutch hard techno flagship filled Utrecht's Strijkviertel with 36 plus artists across two days, and the same names resurface at Teletech Manchester in August. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/charlie-sparks-power-up-album/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/charlie-sparks-power-up-album/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Hard Techno Ten tracks of acid pressure, psy momentum, jungle and MC vocals close out one of the biggest breakout runs in European hard techno. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/eric-prydz-lycka-recordings-heavy/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/eric-prydz-lycka-recordings-heavy/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Labels A briefly live preview page outed 'Heavy', the vocal-led debut on his new label, with an October 30 release date and his first main-alias single in six years. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/bonobo-distance-in-static-album/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/bonobo-distance-in-static-album/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Releases The 14-track album lands September 11 on Ninja Tune with Arooj Aftab, Joy Crookes and Nilufer Yanya, alongside a 21-date North American live run. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/manage-multiple-music-projects-at-once/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/manage-multiple-music-projects-at-once/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Music Business Learn how to manage multiple music projects at once without dropping the ball, using simple systems for tracking, focus, and weekly planning. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/manage-artist-contracts-and-agreements/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/manage-artist-contracts-and-agreements/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Music Business The best way to manage artist contracts and agreements: a simple system to store, track, and never lose a deal, split, or renewal date again. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/why-most-artists-fail-on-tiktok/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/why-most-artists-fail-on-tiktok/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 TikTok TikTok virality stopped converting the way it used to. Why most artists fail on the platform in 2026, and the identity-first playbook that still works. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/content-pillars-for-music-artists/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/content-pillars-for-music-artists/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Content Strategy Five content pillars that keep a music artist's feed consistent, discoverable and converting, mapped to how TikTok and Instagram actually rank content in 2026. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/instagram-algorithm-2026-for-artists/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/instagram-algorithm-2026-for-artists/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Instagram What actually ranks on Instagram in 2026: sends per reach, three-minute Reels, trial reels, the originality crackdown, and the new Your Algorithm controls, translated for music artists. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/tiktok-growth-tactics-2026/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/tiktok-growth-tactics-2026/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 TikTok TikTok split into two algorithmic worlds, added in-app pre-saves and full-song playback, and started paying derivative royalties back. The 2026 growth playbook for artists. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/trial-reels-for-music-artists/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/trial-reels-for-music-artists/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Instagram Instagram will show your reel to strangers only, off your grid, before you commit. How to run release rollouts like A/B tests with trial reels in 2026. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/save-first-funnel-for-artists/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/save-first-funnel-for-artists/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 TikTok Six billion tracks were saved from TikTok into streaming apps in a year. Why the save button beats the bio link, and how to build a release funnel around it. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/instagram-dm-economy-for-artists/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/instagram-dm-economy-for-artists/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Instagram Sends now outweigh likes, Instants launched for close friends only, and broadcast channels lost their follower minimum. The 2026 playbook happens in the inbox. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/youtube-shorts-for-music-artists/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/youtube-shorts-for-music-artists/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 YouTube 200 billion daily views, more revenue per watch hour than long-form, and search that does not expire in 48 hours. The case for making Shorts your second home. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/david-guetta-fifa-world-cup-anthem/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/david-guetta-fifa-world-cup-anthem/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Music 'DNA' pairs the dance heavyweight with Megan Thee Stallion, Andrea Bocelli and EJAE, and premiered live at the opening ceremony in Mexico City. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/warner-music-acquires-sureel-ai/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/warner-music-acquires-sureel-ai/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 AI Business The major label acquires the attribution company behind 'AI DNA' fingerprinting, days after the US musicians union sued over its AI licensing deals. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/nyege-nyege-mirror-world-brussels/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/nyege-nyege-mirror-world-brussels/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Festivals The Ugandan festival and label launches its first European event, September 25 and 26 across Studio CityGate and La Fabriek, with 40 plus artists and 30 euro weekend tickets. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/tomorrowland-avicii-tribute-2026/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/tomorrowland-avicii-tribute-2026/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Festivals The immersive installation runs both 2026 weekends with first-time-displayed artefacts, while his 2012, 2014 and 2015 Tomorrowland sets arrive on Apple Music in Spatial Audio. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/carl-cox-cave-romane-croatia/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/carl-cox-cave-romane-croatia/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Shows BSH Events books the techno statesman into Cave Romane near Pula on August 7, with laser-mapped visuals built into the ancient limestone walls. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/tiesto-atomium-brussels-2026/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/tiesto-atomium-brussels-2026/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Shows July 31 at the 1958 World Expo landmark, presented by HANGAR, as the Dutch icon leans back toward the trance sound that made him. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/anjunabeats-volume-17/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/anjunabeats-volume-17/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Releases Volume 17 lands with 35 tracks across two mixes, a Justine Suissa lead single premiered at Group Therapy 600, and the series' first vinyl edition. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/exit-starlight-festival-pyramids/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/exit-starlight-festival-pyramids/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Festivals Charlotte de Witte plays Egypt for the first time, with Michael Bibi, Adriatique and Vintage Culture across four days near the Great Pyramids. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/skrillex-soma-surprise-album/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/skrillex-soma-surprise-album/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Releases Thirteen tracks, no campaign, collaborators from Young Miko to Blawan, released the same week as his CONTRA debut at Kraftwerk Berlin and a Primavera return. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/stable-audio-3-open-weights/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/stable-audio-3-open-weights/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 AI for Creatives Four new models, three with open weights, tracks up to six minutes, LoRA fine-tuning on your own sound, and licensing deals reported with UMG and Warner. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/elevenlabs-music-v2/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/elevenlabs-music-v2/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 AI for Creatives The new model jumps genres inside one song, regenerates individual sections, ships with licensed training data, and arrives with price cuts up to 50 percent. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/apple-wwdc-2026-siri-ai/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/apple-wwdc-2026-siri-ai/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 Apple iOS 27 and friends arrive with Siri AI, second-generation Foundation Models, and AI threaded through Safari, Messages and the Phone app. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/openai-files-confidential-ipo/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/openai-files-confidential-ipo/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 AI Business The company submitted a draft S-1 to the SEC on June 8 and announced it itself, expecting a leak. Reported valuation: around $850 billion. https://www.v-rma.com/blog/anthropic-claude-fable-5-launch/ https://www.v-rma.com/blog/anthropic-claude-fable-5-launch/ Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0200 AI Models Fable 5 brings Mythos-class capability to general availability with a 1M token context, aggressive pricing, and a free two-week window for subscribers.