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Budweiser boasts of “$0 spent on music rights” in “iconic songs” campaign, wins ad-land’s biggest prize

EU regulators formally launch investigation into Universal Music’s Downtown deal

Did Sony’s Rob Stringer just hand regulators the case to tank Universal’s Downtown dreams?

Ticketmaster offered touts meetings with Live Nation’s top lawyer

Don’t gaslight MPs warns Caroline Dinenage as she says ministers have got into a “terrible pickle” over AI

As another festival falls, AIF proposes new tax relief scheme

Major labels face setback as Trump’s pet DOJ legal beagle sides with Cox in piracy battle

We are just another victim in the shameful lineage of Apple intimidation and bullying, cries Musi

SoundCloud’s amended AI clause still “fundamentally terrible for artists” says Ed Newton-Rex

Guardrails aren’t proof of infringement says Anthropic as judge spanks AI company for “hallucinated” filin

Drake’s Super Bowl gripes in amended lawsuit show defamation action is really an attack on Kendrick Lamar’s success, says Universal

“I just don't understand how that can be fair use”, says judge in Meta AI trial

Pressure mounts for Universal Music Group’s $775 million Downtown acquisition as MEP highlights UMG’s “unprecedented control” of music ecosystem

Suno AI’s faulty guardrails mean its ‘ReMi’ lyric model will spit out entire lyrical works with basic prompting

Did Ticketmaster’s UK boss Andrew Parsons mislead MPs at a select committee hearing?

With the US record industry officially in recession can superpremium and superfans really save the major labels from streaming’s slowdown?

Record industry’s modest growth should make other industries jealous says IFPI boss, as labels weigh in on growth opportunities and AI threats

Trump must “weigh in” on AI copyright debate and pressure “less innovative countries” on copyright rules, says OpenAI

Everyone’s making loads of money but don’t point the finger at us if you’re not, says Spotify’s updated Loud & Clear

Andrew Tate course on ‘pimping’ and exploiting women remains on Spotify as petition passes 25,000 signatures

Universal will spend billions to dominate emerging markets, says Grainge during Q4 earnings call as major sets out its “eat the world” strategies

Liverpool “new heart of music business” says Sound City as major label execs and industry heavyweights head north

Live Nation boss dismissive of streaming platforms’ superfan ambitions as company reports record year

Spotify wants to be “the best in the world at building AI products” and is focused on “accelerated execution”... but still no super-premium launch

Judge throws out MLC’s audiobooks bundle lawsuit, says Spotify can keep cutting songwriter royalties through its “cynical trick”

Universal Music’s new Spotify deal could be a knock-out blow for streaming platform’s audiobook bundling trick

Universal put “corporate greed” before Drake’s safety, says defamation lawsuit filed over Kendrick Lamar diss track

Beware the “wolf under the cape” in Universal’s Downtown land grab, warns Beggars boss as IMPALA calls for regulators to block the deal

EU AI Act can only provide a “temporary fix” to the “darker aspect” of AI’s “profound disruption” to creative industries says open letter

AI generated music will suck €4 billion a year away from music creators by 2028 says CISAC

Village People founder loves Trump using YMCA, but hates people calling it a gay anthem

Executives from BMG, Absolute Label Services, Mahogany Music, Punch Records and more to join award winning female entrepreneurs in Liverpool as first Sound City+ 2025 speakers unveiled

AIF makes desperate call for government to “step up, and step up now” to get festivals through “devastating period”, as MVT launches new Liveline fund

New AI transparency proposal in US Congress will “pave the way” for creator compensation says ASCAP boss

SXSW ditches weapons sponsors to burnish brand - so why won’t it ditch its ties to Saudi Arabia?

SXSW London could disrupt delicately balanced music ecosystem and should reconsider its date

Spotify • 3 min read

“Regulating Spotify like radio is like regulating Uber like a horse and buggy” streaming giant tells Canadian regulators

Canada’s broadcasting regulator the CRTC is still figuring out how to implement the country’s Online Streaming Act, including how it should regulate streaming platforms. At a hearing last week, Spotify said it basically shouldn’t, because radio industry style regulation makes no sense online…

Chris Cooke • 24 Jun 2025

Diddy • 2 min read

Diddy defence team won’t call any witnesses, jurors shown more ‘freak offs’ footage

The Diddy trial is reaching its conclusion. Although the prosecution only finished presenting their case today, the defence say they won’t call any witnesses, so only need two days to argue their case. Among evidence shown so far was 40 minutes of footage from the ‘freak offs’ Diddy orchestrated…

Chris Cooke • 24 Jun 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Shreea Kaul

Shreea Kaul slips past easy genre lines, sitting in the space between late-night honesty and sharp-eyed control. It's soft-edged R&B that doesn’t mind getting a little weird. New single ‘Crooked Salesman’ starts out hazy and alluring, then shifts under your feet…

Kaya Robertson • 24 Jun 2025

Spotify • 3 min read

Spotify customers forced into bundled plans says David Israelite as Senators urge FTC to intervene

US Senators have asked the FTC to investigate Spotify’s bundling trick, which saw it automatically opt premium subscribers into a music + audiobooks bundle that is more expensive and pays less to writers and publishers. The senators say they have “serious concerns” about this trick being employed…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jun 2025

Kneecap • 2 min read

Former Irish premier thought Keir Starmer’s Kneecap Glastonbury intervention must be a joke

Kneecap are due to play Glastonbury this weekend and that fact is causing some controversy. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told The Sun the group shouldn’t be playing. The former Irish Taoiseach has responded, bemused as to why Starmer would express an opinion on Glastonbury’s booking policies…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jun 2025

Coldplay • 2 min read

Coldplay re-release catalogue on EcoRecords, as industry seeks eco-friendly discs that are cheaper to produce and sound better

Coldplay will re-release all their albums on EcoRecords in August. A number of artists have been experimenting with more environmentally sustainable physical discs, and technological developments mean that approach is becoming cheaper, while audio quality issues are being addressed…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jun 2025

CMU Selects • 1 min read

CMU Selects - the last week’s standout releases

Five fresh tracks from last week: Lorde’s euphoric ‘Hammer’, SOPHIE’s fizzy ‘OOH’, Westside Cowboy’s punk ride, dexter in the newsagent’s intimate lo-fi ‘special’, and The Bloody Beetroots with Tokky Horror’s tense and twitchy ‘NUMB’…

Kaya Robertson • 23 Jun 2025

Budweiser • 6 min read

Budweiser boasts of “$0 spent on music rights” in “iconic songs” campaign, wins ad-land’s biggest prize

Budweiser, the king of carbonated disappointment in a can, is proud that it’s found an apparent loophole that means it doesn’t need to pay for “music right$” when harnessing “the most iconic songs in the world” to shill its sad excuse for a beer. And now it’s won an award…

Sam Taylor & Chris Cooke • 20 Jun 2025

Notting Hill Music • 3 min read

Notting Hill Carnival organisers ask culture ministry to step in with cash to implement new safety measures

The Notting Hill Carnival has asked the UK government to provide funding for new crowd management operations at the annual event after a police chief said he feared the popularity of the carnival might result in a “mass casualty” incident. But government funding may prove controversial…

Chris Cooke • 20 Jun 2025

Horizon Future Leaders • 6 min read

🌅 Horizon Future Leaders - Josh Gunston

This week, we caught up with Josh Gunston - founder and label director at Brighton-based Southpoint, artist manager to names like Bushbaby, and a self-starting force whose ten year journey in the scene proves you don’t need permission to make things happen.…

Horizon Music Jobs • 20 Jun 2025

Kneecap • 2 min read

“Free Mo Chara” say protesters as Kneecap member is released on unconditional bail

Kneecap attended Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday, where band member Mo Chara faced a terror offence charge for displaying a Hezbollah flag at a London gig. Supporters gathered outside the packed courtroom, where the musician was released on unconditional bail and told to return on 20 Aug…

Chris Cooke • 19 Jun 2025

Artificial Intelligence • 7 min read

EU needs “ambitious report” on copyright and AI to address unresolved issues around creator and performer consent

The European Parliament’s JURI Committee is currently working on a report about copyright and AI. Groups representing creators and performers have written to MEPs urging them to make it an ambitious report that addresses issues including copyright exceptions, transparency and creator consent…

Chris Cooke • 19 Jun 2025