Chris Cooke - CMU | the music business explained

With US radio stations making $14 billion, it’s time for them to stop robbing musicians, says Gene Simmons

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Gene Simmons • 3 min read

With US radio stations making $14 billion, it’s time for them to stop robbing musicians, says Gene Simmons

The fact AM/FM radio stations in the US do not have to pay royalties to artists and labels was back in the spotlight in Washington yesterday. Gene Simmons told Congress members that a $14 billion radio industry not paying artists who make the recordings its stations play is basically “robbery”…

Chris Cooke • 10 Dec 2025

Bob Vylan sue RTÉ over claims they instigated “antisemitic chant” during Glastonbury set

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Bob Vylan • 2 min read

Bob Vylan sue RTÉ over claims they instigated “antisemitic chant” during Glastonbury set

Bob Vylan have filed a defamation lawsuit in Ireland against Irish broadcaster RTÉ over a news report in June that said the duo’s Glastonbury performance included an “antisemitic chant”. The band’s lawyers say that claim is “categorically denied by our clients” and “entirely untrue”…

Chris Cooke • 10 Dec 2025

US collecting societies AllTrack and Pro Music Rights “feign legitimacy” says congressman, calls for FTC investigation

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FTC • 3 min read

US collecting societies AllTrack and Pro Music Rights “feign legitimacy” says congressman, calls for FTC investigation

Earlier this year the US Copyright Office undertook an inquiry into why there are so many songwriter performing rights organisations in the US. One of the Congress members who prompted that inquiry now wants the FTC to investigate if two of the smaller PROs are employing illegal deceptive practices…

Chris Cooke • 10 Dec 2025

EU report says statutory licensing is the best way to balance copyright and AI

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Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

EU report says statutory licensing is the best way to balance copyright and AI

A report on copyright and AI, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, concludes that the best approach to balance the interests of AI firms and rightsholders would be a statutory licence for AI training, something neither big tech nor rights owners are likely to support…

Chris Cooke • 09 Dec 2025

After King Gizzard boycotted Spotify, tracks by an AI-clone of the band started streaming

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King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard • 2 min read

After King Gizzard boycotted Spotify, tracks by an AI-clone of the band started streaming

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are among the artists boycotting Spotify, though that didn’t stop AI-generated covers of their songs appearing under the artist name King Lizard Wizard. Those have now been removed, but have prompted more debate over how streaming services deal with AI clones…

Chris Cooke • 09 Dec 2025

Taylor Swift hits back at “absurd and legally baseless” claims that she ripped off existing poems when writing her lyrics

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Taylor Swift • 2 min read

Taylor Swift hits back at “absurd and legally baseless” claims that she ripped off existing poems when writing her lyrics

Taylor Swift has been accused of ripping off a set of poems when writing lyrics for songs on four different albums. But in a new court filing, Swift says a lawsuit filed by the writer behind those poems is “absurd”, and no different to an earlier dismissed lawsuit against one of her companies…

Chris Cooke • 08 Dec 2025

Ador founder wants to develop alternative K-pop management model with new agency

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Min Hee-jin • 2 min read

Ador founder wants to develop alternative K-pop management model with new agency

The dispute between NewsJeans and HYBE-owned Ador put the spotlight on K-pop artist deals earlier this year. Ador founder Min Hee-jin - who was pushed out of the agency, prompting the dispute with NewJeans - is launching a new company and says she plans to develop a “new management model” through it…

Chris Cooke • 08 Dec 2025

Kanye’s “problematic behaviour” should not surprise anyone, say judges in Adidas lawsuit

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Kanye West • 2 min read

Kanye’s “problematic behaviour” should not surprise anyone, say judges in Adidas lawsuit

After the long-running partnership between Adidas and Kanye West fell apart in 2022, following the rapper’s antisemitic statements, a shareholder in the sportswear firm sued, claiming management there had failed to declare risks created by West’s misconduct. But a US court has rejected those claims…

Chris Cooke • 05 Dec 2025

Four countries pull out of Eurovision after Israel confirmed to participate

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Eurovision Song Contest • 2 min read

Four countries pull out of Eurovision after Israel confirmed to participate

The Eurovision Song Contest is set to be more political than ever next year, with four countries now boycotting the event over Israel’s involvement. Organiser the European Broadcasting Union this week declined to stage a vote of its members on Israel's continued participation in the competition…

Chris Cooke • 05 Dec 2025

Indie publisher trade body says members should reject AI deals that do not value songs properly

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Independent Music Publishers Forum (IMPF) • 2 min read

Indie publisher trade body says members should reject AI deals that do not value songs properly

The major labels’ big deals with Suno and Udio have posed a number of important questions for the wider music community - including how AI income will be shared between the song rights and the recording rights. IMPF has now joined ECSA in demanding that the two copyrights are valued equally…

Chris Cooke • 04 Dec 2025

Bending Spoons to buy “stagnating” ticketing platform Eventbrite

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Eventbrite • 2 min read

Bending Spoons to buy “stagnating” ticketing platform Eventbrite

Eventbrite is set to be acquired by Bending Spoons, which has been buying up a plethora of digital platforms, instigating lots of cost cutting once each deal is done. It will pay $500 million for Eventbrite, considerably less than the ticketing platform’s $1.76 billion valuation at its 2018 IPO…

Chris Cooke • 04 Dec 2025

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PacSun • 2 min read

PacSun latest brand to be sued over uncleared pop songs in TikTok posts

Another lawsuit against a brand that used pop songs in its social media videos without getting the necessary licences. Warner is suing fashion retailer PacSun, which - it says - is a sophisticated IP owner that should have understood its obligations to secure sync licences for its TikTok videos…

Chris Cooke • 03 Dec 2025