What can we expect for music in 2026? Here are a few predictions

What's in store for music in 2026? Here are a few guesses masquerading as sage predictions.

The last 12 months in music were eventful, to say the least. We saw the against-all-odds successful Oasis reunion, the Sean Combs trial, and, of course, the rise of artificial intelligence and the fears of how it may impact the entirety of music going forward. What can we expect in 2026? I’ve got a few predictions — which, if I’m honest, are just guesses given the volatile and unpredictable nature of the music industry. Nevertheless, here we go.

Outside of their 40-date run at the Sphere in Las Vegas, U2 has been largely absent. The last album of new material was Songs of Experience in 2017, leaving fans instead with Songs of Surrender (a 2023 album of re-recordings) and How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb (a 2024 collection of odds and ends accompanying the 20th anniversary re-release of How to Assemble an Atomic Bomb). Both were placeholders to keep fans occupied while drummer Larry Mullen Jr. dealt with some serious back and neck issues. Bono has given us a few updates along the way, saying the band was working on a back-to-basics rock album and that Mullen’s health was improving and he was almost ready to return to work full-time.

Right now, the runway is pretty clear for a new U2 album and world tour. Yes, Oasis is pretty much guaranteed to continue their reunion tour victory lap, and we’ll see more shows from Guns N’ Roses, Eagles, Bon Jovi, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney, and Pearl Jam have yet to make their intentions known. And the Rolling Stones have said they’ll be staying home because Keith Richards can’t commit to another round of shows.

Things are wide open for a return for U2. I wouldn’t be shocked if there was some kind of announcement in February, accompanied by a new single and then an album by summer.

To be fair, Radiohead has already returned with a short tour after a long hiatus. Might this mean more shows and — gasp! — a new album for the first time in a decade? They’re a sneaky bunch who love surprises. We’ll see.

File this one under “duh.” With the rise of generative AI platforms like Udio and Suno, and with two of the major labels settling lawsuits and working on licensing agreements, AI will loom even larger in music. While some will use the technology as a tool much in the same way we learned to deal with technological advances like the synthesizer, the drum machine and sampling, there will be many abuses and crimes, including plenty of streaming fraud.

Deezer, the Paris-based streamer, says its AI detection software has determined that as of November, almost 50,000 new AI songs are being uploaded to the platform each day, with plenty of tracks masquerading as material from flesh-and-blood artists. That is an increase from 10,000 per day in January 2025. Worse, Music Business Worldwide says 97 per cent of listeners can’t tell the difference between real and fake music. As one analyst put it, this kind of fraud and cybercrime has now been industrialized, with streaming fraud siphoning away at least US$1 billion annually.

There will be knock-on effects from this. Better AI detection. Demands to label songs and artists as AI-generated. More stringent curation standards for playlists and music discovery. And since AI artists can’t actually tour and perform live, their reach will be limited to online. Let’s hope that radio stays away from this music, too, although the taboo has already been broken by the success of the fake country artist Breaking Rust.