Music Week – September 2026

Summary

Rachel Chinouriri tells Music Week "I'm not defined by how the industry or the world perceive me" in September 2026's issue, whose cover she holds one month after Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter co-signed her new album I Think I Spoke Too Soon, due October 16.

Music Week September 2026 puts Rachel Chinouriri on the cover, with the Think Positive feature covering her second album, manager Duncan Ellis and Warner/Parlophone executives Aaron Bay-Schuck, Joe Kentish and Jen Ivory. The front section runs Alexi Cory-Smith's tribute at 8, Reading & Leeds with Melvin Benn at 12, Redeye at 14 and For the Record at 15. Cooking Vinyl's 40 years lands at 38, Concord Music Publishing at 60, and the back carries Charts at 69, Archive at 88 and Aftershow with MMF's Annabella Coldrick at 90.

Two threads run through the issue: Chinouriri's album campaign, and the industry's response to AI after GEMA's win over Suno and Deezer's report on AI-generated music, which editor George Garner addresses directly. Chinouriri's own position is blunt — she messaged her manager saying "Do not allow AI to touch anything on I Think I Spoke Too Soon."

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story
p.30 · RACHEL CHINOURIRI
Music Week meets Rachel Chinouriri in London in July, days after she announced I Think I Spoke Too Soon and its single One Song Away From Crying. Manager Duncan Ellis and Warner/Parlophone's Aaron Bay-Schuck, Joe Kentish and Jen Ivory explain how the restructured label is backing her. She frames the record as permission to enjoy herself after a debut spent proving she had a space. Put October 16 in your calendar, since that is the album's release date named here.

▸ Tribute
p.08 · ALEXI CORY-SMITH
Alexi Cory-Smith (1967-2026), Bella Figura co-founder and CEO and former BMG UK president, is remembered at 8 with tributes from BMG's Alistair Norbury, Sonia Diwan, YouTube's Dan Chalmers and others. The piece traces her career from IRS Records through BMG's Rolling Stones publishing deal to Bella Figura's catalogue of RAK Publishing, Guy Chambers and David Gray. Read it for the Rolling Stones publishing story, which she describes getting the call about in New York.

▸ Features
p.38 · COOKING VINYL
Cooking Vinyl marks 40 years as an independent at page 38, with the label's history and its standing now covered. The piece names the label and the acts behind its run. Compare the independent model described here with the major-label campaign in the cover story.

p.60 · CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING
Concord Music Publishing appears at 60 in a piece on their journey to Music Week Awards glory. It names the company and the work behind the recognition. Track Concord's signings after reading, since the piece covers why they won.

p.54 · SOUNDON
James Cattermole features at 54 under SoundOn, covering the new age of A&R. The piece names his role and the approach he describes. Apply one point from his A&R argument to your own signings.

▸ Front Section
p.12 · READING & LEEDS
Festival Republic MD Melvin Benn talks at 12 about how a new team and a revamped stage layout move the festival forward. He names the changes and the reasoning. Note the stage layout change before you book next year's tickets.

p.14 · REDEYE
Executives from US firm Redeye and parent Exceleration Music discuss UK market opportunity across physical and digital formats at 14. They name the formats and the opportunity. Check your own physical release plans against what they describe.

p.24 · ON THE RADAR
Baby Rose appears at 24, taking a break from tour support for Olivia Dean to discuss her new album. The piece names the album and the touring context. Seek out the album she names here while she is on the road.

p.27 · INCOMING
Incoming at 27 reports Bloc Party's Kele Okereke signing to Korda Marshall's new label Contagious Ltd for the band's seventh studio LP. The piece names the label and the record. Watch for the album, since this is the first signing named on the new label.

▸ Regulars
p.15 · FOR THE RECORD
For the Record at 15 rounds up the past month's big stories, including the AI copyright arguments around GEMA's case and Deezer's report. It names the organisations and the outcomes. Read it before the features, since several items feed them.

p.69 · CHARTS
Charts at 69 prints this month's movers and shakers, naming titles and positions. It is the reference page of the issue. Record the positions here before the next issue resets them.

p.88 · ARCHIVE
Archive at 88 looks back at Music Week's pages from years gone by, naming the date and the people involved. The column gives the historical comparison. Compare the moment here with this month's front section.

p.90 · AFTERSHOW
Annabella Coldrick, CEO of the Music Managers Forum, reflects on her career at 90, including being thrown out of a backstage area by Tim Burgess at 18. She also notes the Artist & Manager Awards returning on November 18. Enter November 18 in your diary if you manage artists.

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Editor's Take

Music Week September 2026 carries the strongest cover of this batch: Rachel Chinouriri at 30 is a real interview, with the album date, the label restructure and her "do not let AI touch it" instruction all in the piece, and Yemi Abiade gets more out of her than most trade covers manage. The Alexi Cory-Smith tribute at 8 is the second essential read, built on tributes from Norbury, Diwan and Chalmers rather than a boilerplate obituary. The weakness is that the AI material, which editor George Garner flags in his letter, is scattered across For the Record at 15 and the cover story instead of getting a single feature, and the middle pages at 38, 54 and 60 are competent profiles without much bite. The cover is clean, with the Rodrigo-Carpenter-Abrams line doing the work. Buy this for Chinouriri and Cory-Smith; skim the rest.

Strengths
• Chinouriri cover gives the album date and AI position
• Cory-Smith tribute built on named industry tributes
• Aftershow and Archive give the issue a close

Weaknesses
• AI coverage scattered instead of one feature
• Middle profiles at 38 to 60 lack bite

Verdict: Recommended — Two essential reads carry it; the middle is competent but flat.