The music business explained: news, analysis, insights and jobs for music industry professionals

Lawyer previously convicted of embezzlement from bankrupt companies in Sweden is pulling the strings at Proper Group AG

Proper Group AG - the company formerly known as Utopia - is riddled with debt and has left its few remaining staff high and dry with salaries unpaid for months

📑 CMU Digest: TikTok v the indies, plus CAA sues Range Media Partners

CAA accuses Range Media of stealing confidential information and masquerading as a management company to avoid talent agency regulations

TikTok’s stance on direct licensing is “disingenuous” and risks harming the digital supply chain say industry insiders

Merlin's letter to members about TikTok licensing negotiations

📑 CMU Digest: TikTok Music closing + all change at top of Universal UK

A Swiss court has initiated bankruptcy proceedings against Proper Group AG

HYBE label Ador reinstates Min Hee-jin as director but not CEO

Out with the old, in with the new: Atlantic Music Group annoints its new top team

Lucian Grainge or God? Universal’s UK big cheese David Joseph is off to study religion

After executive cull, Elliot Grainge will reveal new Atlantic leadership team next week

EU consumer group sues Apple for €62 million over ‘Apple tax’ price hike on competing music subscriptions

The music industry is entering the era of “Streaming 2.0” and could be on course for 2 billion paying subscribers says Universal Music boss Lucian Grainge

US internet providers slam “extortionate pressure” of copyright lawsuits as they urge the Supreme Court to scrap Cox judgement

📑 CMU Digest: Live Nation boss says concerts are affordable + The White Stripes sue Trump

NTIA urges “thorough review” of Martyn's Law as it’s introduced into Parliament

Live Nation boss insists concerts are “incredibly affordable”, especially when compared to sport

📑 CMU Digest: Dynamic ticket pricing in the spotlight plus $10 million streaming scam exposed

The 1975 respond to Malaysian festival promoter’s lawsuit

New York District Attorney brings criminal charges against man accused of sophisticated streaming fraud that raked in more than $10 million

Oasis brings dynamic ticketing practices under fire from UK’s competition and advertising regulators, plus EU

Billy Joel sued by musician who says he helped create ‘You May Be Right’

Chaotic scramble for Oasis tickets puts dynamic pricing in the spotlight of upcoming government inquiry

Hipgnosis “fraudulently induced” Barry Manilow to sell his artist royalties with “false promises”

Michael Rapino knew about Travis Scott’s “dangerous concert antics” says court filing as Live Nation desperately tries to avoid CEO’s deposition in Astroworld case

Crisis for Scottish music industry as government pauses critical funding schemes

Op-ed: Cyanite CEO Markus Schwarzer on why keywords still matter for music data

Using lyrics without permission has not caused any “irreparable harm” to music publishers says Anthropic in injunction dispute

📑 CMU Digest: Donald Trump's music problem + more states join DOJ v Live Nation

Rachel Chinouriri cancels US support shows, putting the spotlight back on the ‘cost of touring crisis’

Isaac Hayes estate sues Donald Trump for copyright infringement

📑 CMU Digest: Cox takes major label dispute to Supreme Court + court dismisses Eminem publisher's Spotify lawsuit

MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom to be extradited to US to face copyright charges

Cornwall Council launches Boardmasters investigation

Live Nation’s anticompetitive conduct goes far beyond consent decree violations, the US government argues

📑 CMU Digest: Music industry lambasts Anthropic's defence + Spotify lays into Apple (again)

Apple's latest proposal “blatantly disregards” fundamentals of EU’s DMA, says Spotify

Anthropic’s “tired arguments” and “scare tactics” should be rejected, say music organisations

Majors hit back at Cox’s latest attempt to overturn billion dollar copyright ruling

TikTok forced to ditch “addictive” Lite rewards scheme in the EU

US TikTok ban addresses “grave national-security threats” and is a “triumph for human rights” say new court filings

📑 CMU Digest: Suno and Udio file fair use defence + The 1975 sued by Malaysian festival

Suno admits it trained on major-owned music, accuses labels of misusing copyright

NO FAKES Act will make likeness and voice rights non-assignable, cap licensing duration

Subscribers didn’t ask for audiobooks says MLC as it hits back at Spotify

TikTok’s plans to allay data security concerns were simply insufficient, US government insists in new court submission

📑 CMU Digest: Spotify hits back at MLC lawsuit + Q2 financial updates

Lucian Grainge is back on the win-win, but which DSP is off his christmas card list? It’s not hard to guess.

Major label trade group criticises Canada’s 5% streaming levy

It’s “common sense” that audiobooks have “more than token value” says Spotify in MLC lawsuit response letter

Spotify’s Q2: Cost cutting is paying off, Ek teases Supremium launch, hints at secret features beyond hi-res audio

📑 CMU Digest: Live Nation antitrust push back + sheet music wars in court

Live Nation fights back in antitrust battle with US government

Kanye West and Snoop Dogg sued over uncleared samples and beats

Margate’s Live Nation-owned Dreamland ordered to cancel drum & bass events after drug-related death

CMU launches new CMU Masterclass series

Are hedge funds betting against Blackstone’s Hipgnosis deal?

Udio responds to record label lawsuit insisting its AI model ‘listens’ rather than ‘copies’

US music publishers ramp up the rhetoric against Spotify's royalty reducing bundling trick

Supreme Court ruling could boost damages payments in US lawsuits over historical copyright infringement

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

TikTok sues the US government over sell-or-be-banned law

Lucian’s lunch money under threat as shareholder pressure mounts over “excessive” pay packet

Could Co-op Group terminate Manchester arena naming rights deal? Fury mounts as safety incident forces yet more Co-op Live show cancellations

An unexpected late night is not a “cognizable injury”, says Madonna in response to lawsuit over her slack timekeeping

Believe x WMG takeover dance warms up as financial regulator is called in

TikTok insists it isn't forcing Americans to phone politicians as ban proposal gets fast-tracked in Congress

CNM statement shows that Spotify’s rage about new French streaming levy misrepresents key facts

France has stood firm against Spotify’s bullying - and Spotify is having a tantrum

WMG is toying with an offer for Believe that would wipe out Warner’s cash reserves - but is it serious, would Believe shareholders sell and can WMG afford to bet the farm?

Mean Millennials scrap streaming subscriptions, mail order music is booming - and Apple Music might be making £500 million or more in the UK

Manchester City Council has spent nearly £90,000 fighting Night & Day legal battle

Hipgnosis Songs Fund takes a haircut - and might have bigger problems to come

Dodgy distributor 3tone linked to company being investigated by Serious Fraud Office

Artificial Intelligence and the music industry in 2023

One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 21 min read

⏩ One Liners - music business news in brief: Iconoclast x David Cassidy, Warner x Cloud 9 Recordings, FUGA x UNIFIED Music Group + more

Deals Iconoclast has acquired the songs catalogue, sound recordings, and name, image and likeness rights of American actor and musician…

CMU • 11 Oct 2024

Grande Communications • 3 min read

Appeals court cuts major label payouts in Grande ISP copyright infringement case

There’s been an important ruling in the major labels’ music piracy case against Grande Communications. A US appeals court has confirmed the ISP is liable for copyright infringement, rejecting a new argument based on a 2023 Supreme Court ruling. However, the damages bill will be cut back…

Chris Cooke • 11 Oct 2024

Live Nation • 3 min read

Live Nation freaks out about upcoming Aussie TV exposé, issues statement calling investigation “inaccurate and unbalanced”

Australian TV show ‘Four Corners’ will air a programme next week about the impact of Live Nation on the country’s live music industry. The live giant has already responded to the show, which it says will present an “inaccurate and unbalanced” view of the sector and its role in it…

Chris Cooke • 11 Oct 2024

Diddy • 2 min read

Diddy trial date set for May 2025, investigation “very much ongoing”, could see further charges

There have been more developments in the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs criminal case this week following last month’s sex trafficking charges. He has accused law enforcement of illegally leaking evidence, the prosecution have revealed there may yet be more charges, and a trial date has been set for next May…

Chris Cooke • 11 Oct 2024

Horizon Future Leaders • 6 min read

🌅 Horizon Future Leaders series - Breyner Baptista Q&A

As part of our new Horizon Future Leaders series of interviews, we are connecting with the music industry’s next generation of leaders to gather candid advice and insights into their career journeys. In this Q&A, we caught up with Breyner Baptista, Innovation & Culture Director at Blackstar Agency.…

Horizon Music Jobs • 11 Oct 2024

Universal Music • 2 min read

Universal Music sues Chili’s over music in social media posts

Another lawsuit has been filed in the US against a brand which used music in its social media posts with getting the right sync licences. Universal Music has sued the Chili's restaurant chain, which is already fighting a similar lawsuit filed by the Beastie Boys…

Chris Cooke • 10 Oct 2024

The Leadmill • 2 min read

Judge rejects appeal against The Leadmill’s landlord getting a premises licence

The legal battle between Phil Mills, operator of Sheffield venue The Leadmill, and his landlord The Electric Group continues. Sheffield council granted The Electric Group its own licence for the venue for if and when it evicts Mills. He appealed that decision, but his appeal has now been rejected…

Chris Cooke • 10 Oct 2024

Live Nation • 5 min read

Live Nation boss Michael Rapino says he’d “love” regulation of secondary ticketing including 20% price cap

Following controversies around the speculative selling of tickets for Oasis shows in North America, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino spoke about the ticketing business at a Bloomberg conference yesterday. Among other things, he announced he now supports a 20% price cap on ticket resale…

Chris Cooke • 10 Oct 2024

Proper Group AG • 2 min read

Lawyer previously convicted of embezzlement from bankrupt companies in Sweden is pulling the strings at Proper Group AG

Peter Löhr, a key advisor to the bankrupt Proper Group AG, was previously convicted of embezzling from bankrupt companies in Sweden. As Proper Group faces unprecedented scrutiny from the Swiss authorities sources associated with the company are asking why Löhr is still there…

Sam Taylor • 10 Oct 2024

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Yoo Doo Right

Montreal-based trio Yoo Doo Right blend post-rock, krautrock, shoegaze and musique concrète to craft a distinctive, avant-garde sound. Their latest single ‘Eager Glacier’ has subtle echoes of ‘Kid A’-era Radiohead, as they balance tense soundscapes with moments of atmospheric calm…

Kaya Robertson • 10 Oct 2024

Spotify • 3 min read

Spotify committed to work-from-anywhere policy, except on the night shift

Spotify’s HR chief has revealed that the company’s work-from-anywhere policy, instigated during COVID, will stay in place, even though other tech companies are telling employees to return to their offices. She has also spoken about the impact of last year’s job cuts at Spotify…

Chris Cooke • 09 Oct 2024

TikTok • 2 min read

TikTok sued by multiple US states over design features that damage the health of young users

Multiple US states have been investigating the impact of TikTok on its users and, based on that investigation, more than a dozen states have now filed lawsuits claiming that addictive-by-design features manipulate young users in a way that damages their mental health…

Chris Cooke • 09 Oct 2024