Sonia Chien, Author at Music Ally

Refuge Worldwide and ChariTea launch fundraiser for non-profit platforms

Sonia Chien — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 07:08:38 +0000

Berlin-based radio station and educational platform Refuge Worldwide and fairtrade tea brand ChariTea have announced an upcoming event called Groove For Good, a grassroots fundraising party for non-profit platforms.

Australian government backs creative industries in AI-training battles

Sonia Chien — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:38:42 +0000

Addressing the University of Sydney yesterday in a speech on ‘AI in Australia’s interests’, prime minister Anthony Albanese announced that the unbounded use of creative works for the purposes of AI training will not be permitted there.

Change The Beat launches initiative for 300 label signings by 2028

Sonia Chien — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 06:37:14 +0000

Global non-profit organisation Change The Beat has announced a broadened support programme for women and gender-expansive artists in the electronic music sphere — namely with a pledge to connect 300 of its community’s artists with label opportunities by 2028.

Sandbox Guide :: Future-proof your business and marketing strategies

Sonia Chien — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000

The 2026 Music Ally NEXT conference brought together music biz people from across the industry, for a day of sessions on topics shaping the future of music marketing, culture and the business at large.

Sandbox Guide :: Future-proof your business and marketing strategies

Sonia Chien and Marlen Hüllbrock — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 13:45:00 +0000

Sandbox Guides are for music marketers: They explain how you can use new platforms, create new strategies, and build new audiences. The Guides feature cutting-edge case studies, expert interviews, benchmark data, and a series of actionable takeaways, so that you can get started immediately. Published 10x per year as part of Sandbox. Explore our Sandbox archive here.

ValuePunks offers free catalogue valuations to artists and indie labels

Sonia Chien — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 06:44:31 +0000

Swiss tech company Tribe Music Group has launched a catalogue-valuation tool called ValuePunks, available for artists and labels to use at no cost.

Poland’s music market prowess

Sonia Chien — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Poland has undoubtedly been an economic success story of the last two decades – this year it has edged past Switzerland to become the world’s 20th largest economy, and is the 16th biggest music market globally.

Rough Trade and Sweet Relief launch joint artist support fund

Sonia Chien — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 07:45:34 +0000

Indie music retailer Rough Trade and Sweet Relief Musicians Fund have launched a new donation program to support musicians and industry professionals in need, set to launch on Rough Trade’s US platform.

Madonna preps livestream and pop-ups with TikTok and iHeartRadio

Sonia Chien — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:12:53 +0000

Madonna-maniacs, take note: this Thursday (2 July) the Queen of Pop is hosting a listening party for her new album ‘Confessions II’ in partnership with TikTok and iHeartRadio.

Tools :: Highnote FM

Sonia Chien and Marlen Hüllbrock — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

As legacy platform algorithms become less creator-friendly, many artists have faced the dilemma of their fans not seeing tour dates, release announcements and other updates on their feeds.

UK artist D3lta says the “fundamentals don’t change” regarding fan outreach post-social media bans

Sonia Chien — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:35:34 +0000

Earlier in June, the UK became the latest country to propose a ban on social media for under 16s — in an announcement by the Labour Party’s Keir Starmer which has since been somewhat eclipsed by the news of his resignation.

Building artist campaigns to mitigate burnout

Sonia Chien — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

A 2025 study of 1,000 UK and US creators found that 52% have experienced burnout as a result of career stress, with financial instability as a primary driver. A further two in five have thought about leaving the industry entirely.

Italy on the rise

Sonia Chien — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Italy has, alongside its European neighbours Germany and France, emerged as a real beneficiary of the streaming age, with the country experiencing a boom in domestic listening alongside steady, streaming-driven growth.

New climate report shows labels’ progress towards reducing emissions

Sonia Chien — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 05:56:16 +0000

The Music Climate Pact (MCP) has released an annual report detailing actions taken by participating labels towards reducing carbon emissions, on both the digital and physical sides of the industry.

Key Production Group releases exclusive fan pack for physical music

Sonia Chien — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Physical music and packaging agency Key Productions has announced a new product they have dubbed ‘The Fancentric Pack ®’ – a storage solution for vinyl, CD and other physical formats for enthusiasts and collectors.