Chris Cooke - CMU | the music business explained (Page 2)

First Anthropic, now Meta: another judge accepts fair use defence in AI training - but there’s a sting

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Meta • 4 min read

First Anthropic, now Meta: another judge accepts fair use defence in AI training - but there’s a sting

When it was sued by a group of authors for using their books in AI training without permission, Meta used the fair use defence. A judge has accepted that defence but says that in many cases AI training probably isn’t fair use and he provides some arguments rightsholders could employ in similar cases…

Chris Cooke • 26 Jun 2025

Azealia Banks ditches Boomtown over ‘Fuck Palestine’ track

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Azealia Banks • 3 min read

Azealia Banks ditches Boomtown over ‘Fuck Palestine’ track

Azealia Banks has pulled out of the Boomtown and Maiden Voyage festivals claiming promoters were pressuring her to express public support for Palestine. Although they were actually asking her to walk back previous social media posts that said “fuck Palestine”. Legal action may now follow…

Chris Cooke • 26 Jun 2025

First major ruling on AI and fair use goes against the copyright industries, though with a silver lining relating to pirated training content

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Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

First major ruling on AI and fair use goes against the copyright industries, though with a silver lining relating to pirated training content

A judge has ruled in a legal battle between a group of authors and Anthropic concluding that AI training is fair use under US copyright law. It’s a big win for Anthropic and AI firms generally, although the judge criticised Anthropic’s use of pirated content, which is likely copyright infringement…

Chris Cooke • 25 Jun 2025

Live Nation has “enormous grip” on festival market but indies entertain more festival-goers, says new report

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Association Of Independent Festivals • 2 min read

Live Nation has “enormous grip” on festival market but indies entertain more festival-goers, says new report

The Association Of Independent Festivals has published a report mapping the UK festival market. It highlights Live Nation’s dominant position, owning three of the four major festivals. However, independently owned events account for the majority of the combined capacity of the UK festival sector…

Chris Cooke • 25 Jun 2025

“Regulating Spotify like radio is like regulating Uber like a horse and buggy” streaming giant tells Canadian regulators

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Spotify • 3 min read

“Regulating Spotify like radio is like regulating Uber like a horse and buggy” streaming giant tells Canadian regulators

Canada’s broadcasting regulator the CRTC is still figuring out how to implement the country’s Online Streaming Act, including how it should regulate streaming platforms. At a hearing last week, Spotify said it basically shouldn’t, because radio industry style regulation makes no sense online…

Chris Cooke • 24 Jun 2025

Diddy defence team won’t call any witnesses, jurors shown more ‘freak offs’ footage

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Diddy • 2 min read

Diddy defence team won’t call any witnesses, jurors shown more ‘freak offs’ footage

The Diddy trial is reaching its conclusion. Although the prosecution only finished presenting their case today, the defence say they won’t call any witnesses, so only need two days to argue their case. Among evidence shown so far was 40 minutes of footage from the ‘freak offs’ Diddy orchestrated…

Chris Cooke • 24 Jun 2025

Spotify customers forced into bundled plans says David Israelite as Senators urge FTC to intervene

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Spotify • 3 min read

Spotify customers forced into bundled plans says David Israelite as Senators urge FTC to intervene

US Senators have asked the FTC to investigate Spotify’s bundling trick, which saw it automatically opt premium subscribers into a music + audiobooks bundle that is more expensive and pays less to writers and publishers. The senators say they have “serious concerns” about this trick being employed…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jun 2025

Former Irish premier thought Keir Starmer’s Kneecap Glastonbury intervention must be a joke

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Kneecap • 2 min read

Former Irish premier thought Keir Starmer’s Kneecap Glastonbury intervention must be a joke

Kneecap are due to play Glastonbury this weekend and that fact is causing some controversy. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told The Sun the group shouldn’t be playing. The former Irish Taoiseach has responded, bemused as to why Starmer would express an opinion on Glastonbury’s booking policies…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jun 2025

Coldplay re-release catalogue on EcoRecords, as industry seeks eco-friendly discs that are cheaper to produce and sound better

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Coldplay • 2 min read

Coldplay re-release catalogue on EcoRecords, as industry seeks eco-friendly discs that are cheaper to produce and sound better

Coldplay will re-release all their albums on EcoRecords in August. A number of artists have been experimenting with more environmentally sustainable physical discs, and technological developments mean that approach is becoming cheaper, while audio quality issues are being addressed…

Chris Cooke • 23 Jun 2025

Budweiser boasts of “$0 spent on music rights” in “iconic songs” campaign, wins ad-land’s biggest prize

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Budweiser • 6 min read

Budweiser boasts of “$0 spent on music rights” in “iconic songs” campaign, wins ad-land’s biggest prize

Budweiser, the king of carbonated disappointment in a can, is proud that it’s found an apparent loophole that means it doesn’t need to pay for “music right$” when harnessing “the most iconic songs in the world” to shill its sad excuse for a beer. And now it’s won an award…

Sam Taylor & Chris Cooke • 20 Jun 2025

Notting Hill Carnival organisers ask culture ministry to step in with cash to implement new safety measures

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Notting Hill Music • 3 min read

Notting Hill Carnival organisers ask culture ministry to step in with cash to implement new safety measures

The Notting Hill Carnival has asked the UK government to provide funding for new crowd management operations at the annual event after a police chief said he feared the popularity of the carnival might result in a “mass casualty” incident. But government funding may prove controversial…

Chris Cooke • 20 Jun 2025

“Free Mo Chara” say protesters as Kneecap member is released on unconditional bail

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Kneecap • 2 min read

“Free Mo Chara” say protesters as Kneecap member is released on unconditional bail

Kneecap attended Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday, where band member Mo Chara faced a terror offence charge for displaying a Hezbollah flag at a London gig. Supporters gathered outside the packed courtroom, where the musician was released on unconditional bail and told to return on 20 Aug…

Chris Cooke • 19 Jun 2025