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

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

Universal Music • 3 min read

Universal’s $775 million Downtown deal under threat after Dutch competition regulator calls for EU to intervene

More trouble for Universal Music as its acquisition of Downtown Music is referred to EU competition regulators by authorities in the Netherlands, delivering another blow to the major’s share price, which is now 14.46% down year on year…

Chris Cooke • 03 Apr 2025

Independent Music Publishers Forum (IMPF) • 3 min read

Latest IMPF report shows indie music publishing revenues grew, even though market share dipped

Indie publisher trade body IMPF has released its latest stats tracking indie publisher revenues and market share. Although market share has dropped slightly, indies combined are still bigger than the biggest of the major-owned publishers, Sony Music Publishing…

Chris Cooke • 03 Apr 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Miynt

Swedish psych-rocker and producer MIYNT oscillates between spacey, scuzzy psych-pop and indie propulsion. Her new single ‘I Am I Am What’ captures the disorientation of going through the motions while your mind drifts elsewhere…

Kaya Robertson • 03 Apr 2025

Tony Bennett • 2 min read

Tony Bennett’s children in legal battle over management of their father’s legacy

A dispute between Tony Bennett’s children over the management of the late singer’s rights and legacy has gone legal. Bennett’s business affairs were long managed by his son Danny, but his sisters now say their brother exploited his position of power to boost his own earnings to their detriment…

Chris Cooke • 02 Apr 2025

Suno • 4 min read

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

CMU has been able to get Suno AI to generate entire lyrics for well known songs, something that the company’s founder Mikey Shulman has previously implied should not be possible because of its “aggressive originality-guarding features” that stop people “trying to copy existing music”…

Sam Taylor • 02 Apr 2025

KOMCA • 2 min read

Korean collecting society says AI-assisted works cannot be registered

Korean collecting society KOMCA has told its members that songs and compositions created using AI cannot be registered with the organisation. Which means if AI has played any role in the creation of a song, it can’t be registered or earn royalties. At least for the time being…

Chris Cooke • 02 Apr 2025

Secondary Ticketing • 4 min read

Live Nation sucks up to Trump after US president targets ticket scalpers

Donald Trump has issued an executive order instructing the FTC to ramp up its efforts regulating ticket scalpers in the US, including by better enforcing the BOTS Act. Although scalper-centric, the order could also impact on the wider ticketing business, and especially Live Nation and Ticketmaster…

Chris Cooke • 01 Apr 2025

Triller • 3 min read

Merlin gears up for legal rumble with bare knuckle fight championship owner Triller over $2.5 million in unpaid fees

While Triller let many of its music licences lapse a few years ago, indie label digital rights organisation Merlin is still owed $2.5 million from a 2020 licensing deal. The extra payment was due because of a most favoured nation clause in that deal. Merlin has now sued to get its money…

Chris Cooke • 01 Apr 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: L.A. WITCH

L.A. Witch exude an aura of effortless cool, a fusion of smooth and smoky garage alchemy with a newfound utilisation of post-punk’s disciplined reserve and icy instrumentation. Their new single ‘Icicle’ sees them journeying into the forlorn minimalism of Joy Division and early The Cure…

Kaya Robertson • 01 Apr 2025

Chance The Rapper • 2 min read

Can Chance The Rapper employ a legal technicality to get ex-manager’s lawsuit dismissed? No chance

A long running legal battle between Chance The Rapper and his ex-manager Pat Corcoran will proceed. Corcoran says he is due commissions under a three year sunset clause in an unwritten management deal. The rapper argued the commission claim was invalid under Illinois law, but the judge disagrees…

Chris Cooke • 31 Mar 2025

CMU Selects • 1 min read

CMU Selects - last week’s standout releases

Last week’s releases unfolded with intention - from OFFIE RADIO’s debut to a new DJ-Kicks mix, and Eartheater’s first-ever collab with Shygirl. Here’s what stood out.…

Kaya Robertson • 31 Mar 2025

BBC • 3 min read

BBC abandons controversial plan to sell ads on its podcasts in the UK

Last year the BBC announced it would start putting ads alongside its podcasts on platforms like Spotify within the UK. Commercial media companies argued that that would have a significant adverse impact on the UK podcast market. As a result, the BBC has abandoned its plan…

Chris Cooke • 31 Mar 2025