Chris Cooke - CMU | the music business explained (Page 4)

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

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Bob Vylan • 4 min read

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

Bobby Vylan has spoken to Louis Theroux about his controversial BBC broadcast Glastonbury performance, insisting he doesn’t regret leading the crowd in a chant of “death, death to the IDF”. The BBC Editorial Complaints Unit recently concluded that the set breached rules relating to harm and offence…

Chris Cooke • 21 Oct 2025

Attorneys bicker as the big ‘dembow riddim’ copyright case progresses

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Steely & Clevie • 3 min read

Attorneys bicker as the big ‘dembow riddim’ copyright case progresses

Last year a US judge declined to dismiss a lawsuit that accuses thousands of reggaeton releases of infringing the copyright in the ‘dembow riddim’, which originates in a 1989 track from Steely & Clevie. Attorneys working on the case are currently busy accusing each other of bad conduct…

Chris Cooke • 21 Oct 2025

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

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Ticketmaster • 4 min read

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

Last month the US Federal Trade Commission sued Ticketmaster, accusing the Live Nation company of colluding with dodgy ticket touts. That prompted a letter from concerned senators. In response, Ticketmaster denies collusion and rejects the FTC’s claims, but says it is changing some of its own rules…

Chris Cooke • 20 Oct 2025

Slipknot sue cybersquatter that has controlled the band’s dotcom domain since 2001

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Slipknot • 3 min read

Slipknot sue cybersquatter that has controlled the band’s dotcom domain since 2001

Slipknot have never owned the dotcom domain that uses their band name, an unknown third party having registered it back in 2001. But the band now claims that that third party is using the domain in bad faith and therefore violating US cybersquatting laws, as well as infringing their trademarks…

Chris Cooke • 20 Oct 2025

Spotify promises “artist-first AI music products” as it announces alliance with majors, Merlin and Believe

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Spotify • 2 min read

Spotify promises “artist-first AI music products” as it announces alliance with majors, Merlin and Believe

Spotify has pledged to “put artists and songwriters first” when developing music AI products, committing to work in partnership with the music industry and ensuring that its AI ventures are fully licensed. The three majors, Merlin and Believe are all on board for some Spotify-led AI experimentation…

Chris Cooke • 17 Oct 2025

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

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Udio • 3 min read

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

Udio has been sued again for copyright infringement, this time by a group of independent artists and songwriters. Although the majors are already suing Udio, the music creators say that their lawsuit “emphasises the significant and unequal harm inflicted on independent musicians by AI”…

Chris Cooke • 17 Oct 2025

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

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Cox Communications • 3 min read

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

The majors have urged the US Supreme Court to uphold their billion dollar win in a piracy lawsuit against ISP Cox. It argues that that ruling will result in mass internet disconnections, but the majors say that’s not true, and that Cox was simply held liable after saying ‘fuck copyright law’…

Chris Cooke • 16 Oct 2025

Ivors Academy launches campaign to ‘End Ghostwriting’ when music is created for film and TV

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Ivors Academy • 2 min read

Ivors Academy launches campaign to ‘End Ghostwriting’ when music is created for film and TV

The Ivors Academy has launched a campaign to ‘End Ghostwriting’ when music is created for film and TV, ending a practice where some contributors go uncredited. Lead composers on such projects are being asked to ensure all contributors are credited, including on cue sheets and award submissions…

Chris Cooke • 16 Oct 2025

Viagogo tells NZ court that thousands of complaints “don’t matter one hoot” when considering if it misled consumers

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Viagogo • 2 min read

Viagogo tells NZ court that thousands of complaints “don’t matter one hoot” when considering if it misled consumers

Last year the High Court in New Zealand ruled that Viagogo had misled consumers and had unfair terms relating to disputes. The secondary ticketing platform is appealing that judgement, arguing that the high number of complaints made against Viagogo is irrelevant but swayed the high court…

Chris Cooke • 15 Oct 2025

Warner downsizing continues with new super division for Benelux and GSA

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Warner Music • 2 min read

Warner downsizing continues with new super division for Benelux and GSA

Warner Music is combining its Benelux and GSA divisions, which will now operate as one, led by former Benelux boss Niels Walboomers, with GSA Presidents Doreen Schimk and Fabian Drebes exiting. It’s part of the major’s ongoing efforts to find $300 million in cost savings, a lot of it from job cuts…

Chris Cooke • 15 Oct 2025

Legal action in Vietnam takes stream-ripper Y2mate offline

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IFPI • 2 min read

Legal action in Vietnam takes stream-ripper Y2mate offline

Legal action in Vietnam has resulted in popular stream-ripping site Y2mate going offline, with the operator of the service agreeing to shut down the site permanently. Meanwhile in Brazil the campaign against stream manipulation continues, with a court ordering that TurbineDigital be blocked…

Chris Cooke • 14 Oct 2025

Lucian Grainge says artist consent will be sought on AI deals - though only for voice clones and AI-generated adaptations

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Universal Music • 3 min read

Lucian Grainge says artist consent will be sought on AI deals - though only for voice clones and AI-generated adaptations

Lucian Grainge has sent a memo to UMG employees updating them on the major’s negotiations with AI companies. Most interestingly he identifies two scenarios where artist consent will be sought before employing AI tools: voice clones and AI-generated songs that “incorporate an artist’s existing songs”…

Chris Cooke • 14 Oct 2025