The Biggest Music News of December 2024
Hey there, music lovers! Grab a seat, make yourself comfy, and let’s dive into some of the juiciest music news tidbits from December 2024. I promise this is gonna be more fun than trying to explain why we still love “Last Christmas” every year—seriously, who doesn’t love a good holiday earworm?
TikTok Drama in the US
First up in our music-scene soap opera, TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is facing some serious heat in the US. They’ve got until January 2025 to sell their operations stateside or risk being banned. Yep, the US courts are not taking it easy on them, mainly because of those pesky national security concerns. Fingers crossed for ByteDance—they’re likely to appeal, but who knows how this little saga will end?
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour: Slaying and Breaking Records
Now onto some major concert news: Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Oh, boy, did she set the stage on fire! With 149 shows across five continents, this tour didn’t just cross borders, it crossed financial milestones too—a whopping $2 billion grossed. Taylor didn’t just perform, she shattered records, including the largest attendance at a single concert in Australia and a streak of sold-out shows at Wembley. Rock on, Taylor!
YouTube’s AI Expands Creativity
Moving on to tech-enhanced tunes, YouTube has been sprinkling some AI magic over its platform. This December, it expanded its AI auto-dubbing feature, which automatically translates and dubs videos into multiple languages. This means creators can now reach audiences from every corner of the planet without needing those high school Spanish skills. Cool, eh?
RouteNote’s Pick of 2024’s Best Records
Every year, the RouteNote team picks their top albums, and 2024 was no exception. Picks from stars like The Cure, JPEGMAFIA, and KAYTRANADA made the cut, giving us all an eclectic sock hop of top-notch tunes. I mean, have you ever heard of anyone else mixing in Christmas music with an avant-garde electronic vibe? Me neither.
iHeartRadio’s Fresh New Look
Oh, and if you’re all about mixing new tech with radio nostalgia, check out iHeartRadio’s app redesign. For the first time since 2011—gasp!—they’ve revamped the user interface, adding things like custom presets and even live lyrics. Think of it as taking the good ‘ol dial knob into the future.
Virgin Music and the $775 Million Deal
Let’s not forget about the big bucks: Universal’s Virgin Music Group is scooping up Downtown Music Holdings in a deal worth $775 million. This is kinda huge, you know? It means big changes in indie music as the industry becomes more consolidated. Independent artists, we’re rooting for you!
Wham!’s Holiday Triumph
To wrap things up—pun intended—let’s chat about Wham!’s “Last Christmas” (the song that just won’t quit!). It hits the UK Christmas Number 1 spot for the second year running. Historic? Absolutely, especially for a tune released way back in 1984. Who would have thought it’s still making us sway by the fireplace?
Spotify Wrapped with an AI Twist
And finally, Spotify Wrapped is showing us what we’ve all been listening to in 2024, with a twist—AI-generated insights for an even deeper dive into your tunes habits. Imagine a podcast telling you just how many times you played your guilty pleasures. Trust me, mine told me way too much about my midnight dance-offs in the kitchen.
There you have it, folks! December 2024 was jam-packed (no pun intended) with music news that shows just how dynamic and exciting the industry is. Feel free to share your thoughts or let me know which record you couldn’t stop spinning this year. Until next time, keep the beats banging and the tunes sweet!
