AI is changing the way music is created, licensed, and discovered. Viberate thinks it is about to change how the industry uses its data, too.
The music data company has a prediction: within a couple of years, it says, more people will use its numbers inside an AI assistant than on Viberate’s own platform.
To that end, the analytics company has launched an official MCP server that lets users of Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and other AI services tap its data by asking questions in plain language.
The MCP server, Viberate says, is the first step in an “AI-first” pivot for the company, which was founded in Slovenia in 2015 and has offices in Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Los Angeles.
The Viberate platform offers stats on more than 11 million artists, 100million songs, and 19million playlists, plus over 160,000 labels and 7,000 festivals.
Using the company’s newMCPserver, that vast pool of data can now be queried in natural language and turned into artist predictions, lineup suggestions, or marketing strategies via any compatible AI assistant, Viberate says.
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard, introduced by AI giant Anthropic and since adopted across the AI industry. It lets AI agents connect to outside data sources and act on them.
Since Anthropic introduced the protocol, it has been adopted by other major AI platforms, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google‘s Gemini, and xAI’s Grok.
Viberate describes it as a “USB-C for AI,” a universal bridge that lets any compatible AI plug into a tool or database to retrieve context and run tasks without a custom-built integration.
“It’s like having a consultant with the combined IQ of all the best data scientists in the world times a million.”
Vasja Veber, Viberate
“We strongly believe that the entire business intelligence industry will sooner or later shift to becoming a data layer for AI agents to read and process,” said Viberate co-founder and CCO Vasja Veber.
“AI models are only as good as the underlying data they’re tapping into, and here we’re at the top of our game,” Veber added.
“So far, the two main ways of using Viberate have been platform access and API,” he said. “The MCP server introduces a third way, and we think this will soon become the prevailing way of using any data analytics service. It works incredibly well.”
Asked about Viberate’s wider AI roadmap, Veber described the MCP server as “a toolbox” that users can use to build their own services, search for promising acts, run deep dives or pull charts.
“Anything they can do on the platform, they can do in their AI app ten times better and faster,” Veber said.
“But so can we, and we are already using the toolbox to produce our own highly focused services that will solve individual problems some of our niche target groups have,” Veber added.
In practice, that means Viberate is building standalone AI apps tailored to specific client needs. Users of those apps “won’t need to make up prompts,” Veber said, but will enter an artist, label, or track name and have the AI pull data from Viberate’s API into a predefined template.
“Each app can be trained on an individual client’s existing data, so it’s fully customizable,” Veber said.
The apps are currently in private beta with select clients, Viberate says.
“We might say we’re a little late to the AI game, but it was our conscious decision that until we find a really kickass solution that will solve actual problems, we won’t do anything AI-related,” Veber said.
Veber said the shift to AI-powered analytics will reshape daily life for labels, A&Rs, managers, and artists, starting with a basic problem: most of them don’t enjoy using data platforms.
“The music industry is the coolest industry in the world,” Veber said. “The statistics industry, on the other hand, is probably the least cool.”
“That is very obvious in our niche, and although our clients know that they need to use data platforms to stay ahead of the game, they don’t love it,” Veber said.
“There is a learning curve, and if you are not very data-savvy you often have problems or use only a fraction of what’s available,” Veber said. “Instead of spending your mornings staring at graphs and benchmarking stats, or hiring us to do it for you, you will simply ask [the AI assistant] questions and get answers.”
Veber added: “You are now able to organize your artists or tracks into individual projects inside your AI assistant and then have it learn about them through the data we provide daily.”
“Until now it was a big advantage if you knew your way around numbers to be a good A&R, manager, promoter, etc., but now the only differentiator is the size of your imagination and how well you can translate that into questions.”
Viberate was co-founded by Veber, Matej Gregoričič and Slovenian techno DJ UMEK (Uroš Umek), who originally built the platform as an internal tool for their own artist management business before pivoting to serve the wider market.
In 2023, the company told MBW that its analytics tools process more than 1 billion data points a day.
The company works with thousands of clients, including major record companies, independent labels, DSPs, distributors and promoters, according to Viberate.
Viberate says setting up the MCP connector “takes seconds,” with a free tier offering basic access and a paid plan unlocking more than 20 advanced tools.
For three months from launch, the company says it is offering a 20% “founding discount” on the paid plan, with subscribers locking in the reduced rate for as long as they keep their subscription.
Looking to the future, for music analytics, Veber argues that integration with AI services is “an ‘adapt or die’ dilemma.”
“We strongly believe that in a couple of years, more users will use our data in their favorite AI service than go directly to our platform, and sooner or later platforms will become obsolete,” Veber said.
The difference, he said, is that the platform leaves it to the user to interpret the metrics, whereas an AI such as Claude or ChatGPT applies its own reasoning to the same dataset and tells the user what to do with it.
“When we were testing this in our staging environment, our minds were blown away,” Veber said.
Viberate has spent more than 13 years extracting information from raw data, Veber said, but added that the way AI combines metrics, identifies patterns, and generates answers goes far beyond what a human analyst can do.
“It’s like having a consultant with the combined IQ of all the best data scientists in the world times a million,” Veber said.
Still, Veber cautioned that the technology is only as good as its underlying data. “It doesn’t matter how advanced AI algorithms get – without a reliable data source, none of this works,” he said.
It’s been a memorable year for Wall Street, with all three major indexes — the Dow Jones Industrial Average(^DJI +0.26%), S&P 500(^GSPC +0.79%), and Nasdaq Composite(^IXIC +1.52%) — rocketing to record highs, and the largest initial public offering in history taking shape.
But the most transformative moment is, arguably, the transfer of power at America’s foremost financial institution, the Federal Reserve. May 15 marked Jerome Powell’s final day as Fed chair, while May 22 was Kevin Warsh’s swearing-in ceremony at the White House.
Jerome Powell’s successor has wasted little time making his presence felt. Warsh promised to lead a reform-oriented Fed, and he held firm to that promise by taking away something that Wall Street and investors have held near and dear for more than two decades.
Fed Chair Kevin Warsh wants to lead a reform-oriented central bank. Image source: Official Federal Reserve Photo.
Kevin Warsh bids adieu to forward guidance
Before taking over as head of the Fed, Warsh outlined several changes he wanted to oversee. This includes adjusting how policymakers think about inflation, and deleveraging the central bank’s bloated balance sheet, which grew tenfold between August 2008 and March 2022.
But the new Fed chair’s most impactful move may be what he’s no longer saying. In speaking with the press following the June Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting two weeks ago, Warsh proclaimed:
You might have already noticed something: a difference in today’s policy statement. It’s a bit shorter, a bit simpler — and it dispenses with some older language. That statement just gives you the facts, as best we can judge it. Absent, also, is so-called forward guidance.
Since 2003, it’s been customary for the FOMC to include forward guidance in its meeting statements, which Wall Street and investors have used to determine the central bank’s next move. In six words, “absent, also, is so-called forward guidance,” Kevin Warsh has abruptly ended this tradition and left investors to fly blind.
In theory, this is going to make it considerably more challenging for Wall Street and the bond market to figure out what, if any, changes the FOMC will make to monetary policy. Volatility in the bond market could be particularly consequential, with higher yields (and therefore higher lending rates) being the result.
Very hawkish dot plot.
Nine out of 18 officials have at least one hike this year (and six of those 9 have *multiple hikes*).
Only one person has a cut this year, and one participant (presumably Warsh) didn’t submit an SEP
The lone silver lining for Wall Street and investors is that Warsh’s first meeting coincided with the quarterly release of the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP), which is commonly known as the dot plot. The dot plot is a graph that anonymously outlines the interest rate projections of FOMC members.
Though Warsh didn’t participate in the SEP, nine of 18 FOMC members (not all of whom vote) project that the federal funds target rate will rise before years end. Despite the lack of forward guidance, the dot plot paints a clear picture of the Committee’s current view on inflation and interest rates.
But with the dot plot only released quarterly and Warsh unwilling to participate, at least half of the annual FOMC meetings could introduce a level of uncertainty that Wall Street and its major stock indexes haven’t contended with in more than two decades. The transparency and predictability that have historically gone hand in hand with FOMC meetings are now gone.
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Learn about the different types of human resource management models, and how to choose the best HRM model for your company.
You don’t need to be an HR expert to manage employees. This video will provide you with all the essential information on how to do it and will help you get started with your first employees. Moreover, I’ll show you what are some of the most common mistakes that HR people usually make while managing people and how to avoid them.
Human resource management is a complex task that requires a lot of expertise. HRM experts are usually required to make the task more successful.
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The Fine Print
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Reward cards and bulk purchases not applicable.
After a PerfectGift+ purchase is made, the buyer will receive a digital PerfectGift+ gift card via email.
Digital gift card amount corresponds to the eligible purchase as follows. Buy a PerfectGift+ of: $25.00-$49.99 receive a $5 PerfectGift+ digital gift card. $50.00-$99.99 receive a $10 PerfectGift+ digital gift card. $100.00-$249.99 receive a $25 PerfectGift+ digital gift card. $250.00-$499.99 receive a $60 PerfectGift+ digital gift card. $500.00 and above receive a $150 PerfectGift+ digital gift card.
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Our Verdict
Excellent opportunity to try out gifting with the PerfectGift and getting $150 bonus for yourself as the sender. The PerfectGift+ gift card can be redeemed for many gift card brands, including Visa, Zelle, and thousands more.
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Important: this only works for sending a gift for a friend. This is not for buying a gift card for yourself, and such orders will be cancelled.
Borrowers at nonprofits, schools, and public agencies keep their PSLF eligibility — for now.
A federal judge has thrown out the Department of Education’s controversial new Public Service Loan Forgiveness rule, ruling it unlawful one day before it was scheduled to take effect.
In a 68-page decision issued June 30, 2026, U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun of the District of Massachusetts (PDF File) held that the rule was “contrary to law,” exceeded the Department’s statutory authority, was “arbitrary and capricious,” and violated the First Amendment.
His order vacated the rule entirely.
There’s another case in the District of Columbia that’s also about this same rule, still waiting on a ruling as of writing.
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The News
The decision resolves two consolidated lawsuits: Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. U.S. Department of Education and National Council of Nonprofits v. McMahon.
The challengers included 22 states, the District of Columbia, five cities and counties, five nonprofit employers, and five employee associations.
More than 100 amici filed briefs against the rule. As the judge pointed out, “Zero amici appeared in support of the defendants.”
Why It Matters
PSLF forgives the remaining federal student loan balance for borrowers who make 120 qualifying payments while working full-time for 10 years at a qualifying public service employer, such as government agencies and 501(c)(3) nonprofits.
The rule the court struck down would have let the Department disqualify employers based on a new “substantial illegal purpose” standard. Borrowers at affected employers could have lost progress toward forgiveness through no fault of their own.
The court found the rule chilled protected activity at organizations serving immigrants, teaching diversity and inclusion content, and providing gender-affirming care.
The Details
The judge’s central objection was that the rule tied PSLF eligibility to the administration’s policy priorities rather than to settled law. Its definition of “substantial illegal purpose” reached beyond established criminal statutes. For example, creating its own definition of “trafficking” untethered to federal criminal law, and treating civil immigration violations as grounds for “aiding and abetting” liability.
“Administrations change with elections; criminal laws do not,” Joun wrote. The court held the rule was unconstitutionally vague and effectively compelled employers to affirm the administration’s view that all diversity, equity, and inclusion practices are illegal — “a belief, not settled law.”
How This Connects
The rule had drawn scrutiny for months. Earlier in 2026, the Department attempted to add a perjury attestation to PSLF forms, and states pushed to block the employer rule before its July 1 effective date, as The College Investor previously reported. The change had also raised concerns that teachers, nurses, and other public-service staff could quietly lose PSLF status depending on their employer.
The ruling lands during an already turbulent stretch for borrowers. The SAVE plan has ended, and the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) launches July 1, 2026, reshaping PSLF strategy for the year ahead.
This is a trial-court decision, so the Department of Education can appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. For now, the rule is vacated nationwide and does not take effect.
Borrowers pursuing PSLF should continue certifying employment and confirming their payment counts through their federal loan servicer.
“Saving for a down payment takes years of discipline, which is why receiving the keys is such a meaningful milestone,” Banfield said, adding that down payments as low as 5% to 6% remain common for conventional loans in affordable markets.
Matt Schulz of LendingTree says many Americans are managing higher costs with little room for unexpected setbacks, making affordability conversations more important for mortgage professionals.https://t.co/77opIC04fe
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) June 23, 2026
What this means for brokers serving first-time buyers
Redfin’s head of economic research, Chen Zhao, tied the timeline gap directly to local incomes. “Local home prices are driven by local incomes,” Zhao said.
“In more affordable markets, buyers can accumulate a down payment much faster because home prices — and therefore down payment requirements — are significantly lower. That’s helping keep the dream of homeownership within reach for many.”
Detroit-area Redfin agent Anne Loehr, who works in one of the country’s most affordable markets, said most of her first-time clients put down just 5%. She also urges buyers to budget beyond the down payment itself.
“I always tell my first-time homebuying clients to consider finding a home that’s under budget so they can reserve funds for the additional costs of owning a home, such as regular maintenance and unexpected repairs, which can amount to tens of thousands of dollars,” Loehr said.
When Nike brought Elliott Hill out of retirement almost two years ago to helm the sports conglomerate, it was with the intention of turning the brand’s strained relationships with athletes and retailers around in what Hill would later call a “sport offense.”
That offensive strategy seemed to pay off—in North America at least—when Nike’s quarterly earnings exceeded Wall Street’s expectations. The company reported an adjusted 20 cents earnings per share, compared to the 13 cents expected. It also reported $10.97 billion in revenue, a $130 million increase from the expected $10.86 billion. And thanks to a nearly billion dollar tariff refund ($986 million), the company’s gross margin increased 8.9% during the quarter—even if analysts excluded the gain in their earnings expectations.
But Hill, the Nike CEO, is facing two report cards. There’s the one after the bell today that demonstrates what real progress Hill has made on stemming Nike’s losses (for the past two years, Nike’s sales fell every single quarter with shrinking profit margins and money earned per share dropping by almost two thirds). But he’s also facing the one on the world stage that’s playing out in stadiums across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The World Cup could show whether his efforts to rejuvenate Nike’s sports culture into something consumers really want really paid off.
On the offense
Hill inherited a company in freefall: negative 5% year-over-year revenue growth and the start of what would become a 62% decline in earnings per share from its peak in May 2024. Since his first quarter as CEO in November 2024, earnings per share, a number investors keep a close eye on, is down 56%—hitting $1.51 per share—and operating income is down by half.
Nike brought back Hill to fix its relationship with retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods after his predecessor John Donahoe aggressively pursued direct-to-consumer sales in a digital strategy that Hill said made Nike’s partners “feel we’ve turned our back on them.” And so Hill focused his tenure on rebuilding Nike’s shelf presence.
Going on a sport offense meant shifting Nike from designing for women, men and kids to designing with different types of athletes in mind, for a more “sport-led” approach to maximize innovation, Hill explained at a May 2026 talk at UC Berkeley’s Haas School. The earnings report as clearly on his mind last week when he told the FT that this restructuring was taking longer than he’d anticipated. “Job’s not done until the job’s done,” Hill said. “I guess Wall Street will be the judge of that, right?”
His efforts seem to be paying off in North America: revenue growth is up 15 percentage points since the lowest point under Donahoe.
Nike’s World Cup moment
A portion of Hill’s strategy involved bringing Nike on par with Adidas on the world stage. While the rival is an official FIFA partner, Nike outfits 12 teams with kits and uses advertising to compete. He told investors on the March earning call that soccer is next in the sport offense with the new Mercurial footwear, Tiempo cleats and Aero FIT national kits, asserting that Nike is “utilizing the World Cup as an opportunity to catalyze the football marketplace for quarters to come.”
Nike will face off against Adidas to make the most of the World Cup as the two compete through ad campaigns, with Nike featuring superstar athletes Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and LeBron James (juxtaposed with Adidas’ ads featuring Lionel Messi). The decades-long rivalry is not just about bragging rights: It’s the first big global stress test of Hill’s approach to driving up Nike demand. To meet this end, Nike also overhauled its previous playbook by adding celebrities like Kim Kardashian and K-pop star Lisa to its “Rip the Script” ad campaign, which gathered over 78 million views, as compared to Adidas’s 7.8 million in the last month.
“There’s a reason why Nike is spending that kind of money on those ad campaigns at the World Cup,” David Swartz, a senior equity analyst for Morningstar, told Fortune.
The company said the goal of the ad was to give fans “something worth talking about, worth clipping, worth wearing, worth showing up to,” a seeming attempt to turn the enthusiastic culture around the World Cup into Nike demand.
“Nike is very visible during the World Cup and it can generate sales directly, because people do buy jerseys for those national teams and for the players that they like,” Swartz told Fortune. “It’s also a big branding opportunity in the long term to try to get Nike back in the forefront of the sportswear world, where it typically has been, but has lately fallen behind.”
From dominating footwear to declining sales
While Tuesday’s report showing North American growth matters for Nike, Swartz told Fortune that regaining market share in China—where Nike is losing out to Chinese footwear company Anta—matters all that much more. Today’s earnings show China results for Nike as weak but in line with expectations. Nike’s China revenue fell from over $7B (when Hill started) to $6B as of February’s quarterly data and is projected to fall to $5.5B through August because of competition and inventory glut.
“Its profitability in China has just collapsed, which has been a big problem because historically it was Nike’s highest margin region,” Swartz said. “The main concern right now for investors probably is how long is it going to take for Nike to get a turnaround in China.”
There’s also the concern that Nike has fallen behind on innovation, with no new and exciting sportswear products to attract consumers, an issue compounded by the tariffs and high gas prices that have been squeezing consumer companies generally. Retailers in China are also having difficulty selling Nike merchandise, even at a discount, which continues the inventory glut and takes up shelf space that could hold new products, according to Swartz.
“Utlimately, Nike needs to have more full price selling and less discounting of its products to get its margins back up,” he added.
Some companies decided to discontinue their parntnership with Blue Rewards, but some chose to continue. So today, we get one of those perspectives with Ivan Guillen, Chief Executive Officer of Pharmasave who will share with us their rational for their continued partnership as Air Miles during their transition to Blue Rewards.
The post [INTERVIEW] Pharmasave Partnership with Blue Rewards appeared first on Pointshogger.
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As a retail investor in 2026, the geography you choose to invest your money in might be one of your biggest decider in how your wealth will grow.
US, India or somewhere else? Where should you invest?
In this video, I discuss the same. Watch till the end.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN INVESTMENT ADVICE. PLEASE DO YOUR OWN DUE DILIGENCE
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