Firies ‘nervous’ as major bushfires spread + Is the record label dead?

Friday Headlines: Firefighters bracing for ‘a very bad day’ as heat engulfs parts of Australia, Jewish groups welcome PM’s announcement of a Royal Commission, Trump defends ICE agents who killed US Citizen Renee Nicole Macklin Good, authors boycott Adelaide Writers' Week after pro-Palestine advocate Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah removal and Leonardo da Vinci’s DNA potentially found on artwork.

Deep Dive: The rules of the music industry are shifting again, and in 2025, the balance of power seemed to tilt towards artists.

Some experiments paid off and opened new ways for fans to connect - from Justin Bieber livestreaming online to Charli XCX building direct channels with fans.

Others, however, exposed just how risky it can be to step outside industry norms.

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou speaks with music journalist Sam Murphy about who’s really setting the rules and how that will shape the artists, sounds, and stories we hear in 2026.

Further listening: Randa Abdel-Fattah had her name written on a bomb

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