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

“Misleading rhetoric and “deceitful buzzwords” not good enough, says Council Of Music Makers in call for creator consent, control and compensation in AI deals

Axing of controversial EBacc is a “step in the right direction” for music education says Ed Sheeran

Former Guns N Roses manager sues band over autobiography blocker clause

Judgement in Getty’s UK lawsuit against Stability “underscores growing gap” between copyright and tech, says leading lawyer

Spotify’s streaming fraud initiatives are “nothing more than window dressing” says rapper RBX as he files class action lawsuit

Streaming services don’t want French language quotas in Québec

Universal has settled its lawsuit with Udio, and signed AI deals with Udio and Stability

Spotify questions MLC’s “motivations” in pursuing audiobook bundling dispute lawsuit

Lizzo is being sued over an uncleared sample - on a track she never released

Viagogo is unfair, opaque and violates EU law, consumer group tells regulator

Bobby Vylan says he has no regrets about “death to the IDF” chant at Glastonbury

Ticketmaster says FTC allegations it colluded with touts “nonsensical”, but it is changing some of its rules and shutting down TradeDesk

New Udio lawsuit hones in on the “significant and unequal harm” inflicted on independent musicians by music AI

Majors tell US Supreme Court to ignore ISP’s doom and gloom predictions and uphold billion dollar piracy ruling

Drake vows to appeal after judge throws out defamation lawsuit against Universal

High profile songwriters express concern about PRS transparency, accuracy and admin costs

Anthropic’s own guardrails revive full copyright lawsuit from litigious music publishers

Suno tells court to reject stream-ripping “gambit” by major labels in AI legal battle

As indie labels ramp up campaign for EU to block the UMG x Downtown merger, a French music lawyer says concerns around data are “fantasy or paranoia”

As FT says major labels are close to “landmark” AI licensing deals, is a new battle royale going to kick off within the music industry?

No one seems to know if Kneecap are still banned from Canada - or whether they were ever actually banned at all

Don’t say gruesome twosome: Ek steps sideways at Spotify to make way for not one but two new CEOs

‘Something Inside’ songwriter goes legal over Tommy Robinson’s use of his anti-apartheid anthem

Donald Trump signs executive order “saving TikTok”

Tabloid claims that Dua Lipa sacked agent over Glasto Kneecap letter are “categorically false” and “deliberately inflammatory”

Major labels add piracy claims to Suno lawsuit after $1.5 billion Anthropic settlement

Live Nation colludes with ticket touts, says US government as it launches legal action

Cornwall Council will hold meeting about ‘safety risks’ of Bob Vylan’s August Boardmasters performance - even through there weren’t any

Spotify finally adds lossless audio to premium

Anthropic will pay authors $1.5 billion to settle AI copyright case

Universal’s Downtown deal must be blocked by regulators before “cultural diversity is weakened irreversibly” says Dutch indie label group president

As EU hits pause on UMG Downtown investigation after “parties fail to provide important info”, Downtown boss whines about “misinformation”

More upheaval at Warner Music as UK label chiefs will report directly to US execs

Yet another senior exec out at Warner Music as UK boss Tony Harlow quits

Billion dollar piracy win for majors “defies common law and common sense” says Cox

Court dismisses Dave Rowntree’s black box lawsuit against PRS

Supertramp songwriter must continue to share publishing royalties with bandmates, US appeals court concludes

FTC sues ticket touting business that claims it is endorsed by Ticketmaster

Drake’s claims are “farcical” says Lucian Grainge as defamation battle rumbles on

Drake wants to trawl through Papa Grainge’s emails in ‘Not Like Us’ libel battle

Sony sues Napster over $9.2 million in unpaid royalties

Spotify age-checks could result in accounts being deleted, but only if you’re twelve

Increasing number of artists join Spotify boycott over CEO’s AI weapon investments

If China blocks TikTok deal app will “go dark” says US Commerce Secretary, but hints deal “coming soon”

Blackstone bails on consortium bidding to buy TikTok US - will a deal still be done by September deadline?

Anthropic’s ‘fair use’ win in AI copyright case could turn into a trillion dollar loss

No copyright exception for AI training in European law, says new report

Full scale anticompetition investigation on the cards after UMG’s Virgin Music fails to allay EU fears over Downtown merger

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?

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

Spotify’s Discovery Mode tricks people into listening to Drake, alleges payola lawsuit

Spotify has been sued over Discovery Mode, with subscriber Genevieve Capolongo claiming the “personalised listening experience” she was promised was ruined because the streaming service sold her recommendations “to the highest bidder”. It’s the second class action filed against Spotify this week…

Chris Cooke • 06 Nov 2025

CISAC • 2 min read

Songwriter CMOs collected €12.59 billion in 2024, but AI "threatens future of creative sector”, says CISAC

CISAC has published its annual ‘Global Collections Report’, showing that songwriter CMOs collected €12.59 billion in 2024, with total collections up 7.2% year-on-year. However, CISAC chief Gadi Oron says, despite the growth, challenges caused by AI “threaten the future of the creative sector”…

Chris Cooke • 06 Nov 2025

Artificial Intelligence • 2 min read

“Misleading rhetoric and “deceitful buzzwords” not good enough, says Council Of Music Makers in call for creator consent, control and compensation in AI deals

Following last week’s announcement that Universal Music has signed deals with AI companies Udio and Stability, the UK’s Council Of Music Makers has called on the music industry to pledge to secure explicit music creator consent before including their recordings and songs in any AI deals…

Chris Cooke • 06 Nov 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Amanda Bergman

Part-time regenerative farmer, part-time songwriter, Amanda Bergman makes music with the same patient, restorative quality that guides her offstage life. Recorded almost entirely live at the legendary ABBA studio, new single ‘Grasp’ is a song of soft electronics and muted magnificence…

Kaya Robertson • 06 Nov 2025

Music Education • 3 min read

Axing of controversial EBacc is a “step in the right direction” for music education says Ed Sheeran

The UK government has axed the controversial EBacc, which deprioritised creative subjects like music in English schools. In a letter to Ed Sheeran, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says changes now being made to the English schools curriculum will ensure “creativity isn’t a privilege, but a right”…

Chris Cooke • 05 Nov 2025

Guns N Roses • 3 min read

Former Guns N Roses manager sues band over autobiography blocker clause

Guns N Roses are trying to block their former manager, Alan G Niven, from publishing an autobiography by citing a confidentiality term in a 1991 agreement. Niven has responded by suing the band, arguing that contract term is “unconscionable”, and has been repeatedly broken by the band themselves…

Chris Cooke • 05 Nov 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Ethel

Parisian songstress Ethel has a way of making music feel physical. New single ‘Sorted’, produced with longtime collaborator Banshee The Great, sounds both handmade and a little cosmic. Synths blink in and out like city lights, a bassline hums low to the ground, and Ethel’s voice dances atop…

Kaya Robertson • 05 Nov 2025

Stability AI • 4 min read

Judgement in Getty’s UK lawsuit against Stability “underscores growing gap” between copyright and tech, says leading lawyer

Stability AI has won its copyright dispute with Getty Images in the UK courts. This began as what many saw as the landmark AI copyright case under UK law, of relevance to all rights owners, including in the music industry. However, in the end the judge only considered a very narrow copyright issue…

Chris Cooke • 04 Nov 2025

Suno • 2 min read

“Innovation can’t be built on stolen goods” says Koda CEO, as Danish collecting society sues Suno

We have another music industry AI lawsuit in Europe. Danish collecting society Koda is suing Suno which it says has stolen “our members’ creative work and fed it into its machines without consent, transparency or remuneration”. It follows German society GEMA in suing Suno for copyright infringement…

Chris Cooke • 04 Nov 2025

Spotify • 3 min read

Spotify’s streaming fraud initiatives are “nothing more than window dressing” says rapper RBX as he files class action lawsuit

Spotify is being sued for allegedly “turning a blind eye” to streaming fraud. Rapper RBX says that Spotify’s anti-fraud procedures are “nothing more than window dressing”, because the streaming service benefits from having fraudsters set up accounts. He’s suing for negligence and unfair competition…

Chris Cooke • 03 Nov 2025

CMU Selects • 1 min read

CMU Selects - the last week’s standout releases

Our selection of five releases that cut through the noise last week, from ROSALÍA’s, Björk, Yves Tumor, Swank Mami, EsDeeKid, Florence + the Machine, Chy Cartier + Lil Yachty…

Kaya Robertson • 03 Nov 2025

Music Artists Coalition • 3 min read

Artists must have creative control in AI deals or risk ending up with “scraps”, says US artist trade body

Last week Universal Music settled its legal dispute with AI company Udio and licensed a new AI-powered music service that Udio will launch next year. While it’s good Udio is engaging with the industry, that deal raises an assortment of concerns and questions, says the US Music Artists Coalition…

Chris Cooke • 03 Nov 2025