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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

South Asian Soundcheck • 2 min read

Two thirds of South Asian music professionals feel poorly represented in the UK industry, says South Asian Soundcheck report

The newly published ‘South Asian Soundcheck’ report reveals that two thirds of South Asian creators and professionals working in the UK music industry feel poorly represented in the music business. It also identifies three essential needs to deliver change: mentorship, representation and investment…

Chris Cooke • 07 Oct 2025

Anthropic • 3 min read

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

Earlier this year a judge dismissed all but one of the copyright claims in a lawsuit filed by three music publishers against AI company Anthropic. However, the publishers revised and resubmitted those claims, and this time the judge reckons all the allegations are sufficiently “plausible” to proceed…

Chris Cooke • 07 Oct 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Umut Adan

Turkish singer-songwriter Umut Adan and his Italian band Zebânis have a sound they coin “danceable dissent”. New single ‘Bogotà’ is a hypnotic protest anthem, fusing Anatolian psych with the communal pulse of cumbia…

Kaya Robertson • 07 Oct 2025

Diddy • 2 min read

Diddy to spend more than four years in prison

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was sentenced on Friday after being convicted earlier this year over the illegal transportation of two women to engage in prostitution. He will spend a total of 50 months in jail. His lawyers had argued for fourteen months, while the prosecution wanted an eleven year sentence…

Chris Cooke • 06 Oct 2025

Suno • 4 min read

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

The major labels recently requested to amend their lawsuit against Suno to include claims the AI company gathered its training data by stream-ripping audio from YouTube, in violation of copyright law. In response, Suno argues that any stream-ripping it may have done did not, in fact, violate US law…

Chris Cooke • 06 Oct 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 Saint Ludo and Kasst 8, Snõõper, Danny L Harle and Caroline Polachek, Ms* Gloom + Fred Again.. & Amyl And The Sniffers…

Kaya Robertson • 06 Oct 2025

Streaming Fraud • 2 min read

Record industry celebrates as French courts confirm that “enabling streaming fraud is unlawful”

A French court has told internet company OVH to stop hosting stream manipulation websites JustAnotherpanel and BuyBestSuperfans. The music industry has welcomed the ruling as part of its battle against stream manipulation, saying it “confirms that enabling streaming fraud is unlawful in France”…

Chris Cooke • 03 Oct 2025

Universal Music • 9 min read

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 the UMG and Downtown puppet show rumbles on, an old-school French music lawyer who doesn’t have a website pops his head above the parapet and says anyone with concerns about data is suffering from fantastical paranoia. Just wait till he learns about AI…

Chris Cooke & Sam Taylor • 03 Oct 2025

Horizon Future Leaders • 7 min read

🌅 Horizon Future Leaders - Helena Coma

This week we spoke with Helena Coma, Membership & Communications Coordinator at the Featured Artists Coalition, and independent band manager and promoter.…

Horizon Music Jobs • 03 Oct 2025

Artificial Intelligence • 7 min read

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?

An FT report says that Universal and Warner are close to agreeing “landmark” AI licensing deals that will result in ongoing payments to the music industry. If true, that poses some big questions within the music community about how that income will be shared and whose consent will be sought…

Chris Cooke • 02 Oct 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Glom

There’s no gloom in Glom, instead we get shimmering riffs, 90s-leaning alt-rock choruses and shoegaze haze, with the tight rhythms of late 80s post-punk. With ‘Mirror’ he’s written one of his most frank songs, yet it remains unashamedly melodic and uplifting…

Kaya Robertson • 02 Oct 2025

Nirvana • 2 min read

Nirvana baby lawsuit dismissed

The Nirvana baby lawsuit has been dismissed. Spencer Elden, who as a baby appeared on the cover of ‘Nevermind’, sued the band in 2021 claiming that the artwork constituted illegal sexual imagery. But the judge says he “has a difficult time understanding” that interpretation of the image…

Chris Cooke • 02 Oct 2025