CMU Contributors - CMU | the music business explained

Op-ed: My future as an amateur football club coach

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Op-Eds • 6 min read

Op-ed: My future as an amateur football club coach

Universal Music’s Downtown deal was a big talking point at the SoAlive Music Conference in Sofia earlier this month. Nuno Saraiva, Founder of the SCL-Lusitanian Label Group in Portugal, reflects on the discussions, and explains why the Downtown acquisition is such a big deal for the indie community…

CMU Contributors • 27 Oct 2025

Op-ed: DHP Family’s George Akins on what independence really means in live music

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Op-Eds • 5 min read

Op-ed: DHP Family’s George Akins on what independence really means in live music

As Kneecap play their biggest show to date at Wembley Arena, the band’s promoter George Akins of DHP Family looks at what independence really means in the live industry, and why corporate interests and artists’ rights to express themselves are often in opposition to each other…

CMU Contributors • 17 Sep 2025

Op-ed: Becky Ayres on why Liverpool doesn’t just make music, it makes the people who make the music business

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Op-Eds • 4 min read

Op-ed: Becky Ayres on why Liverpool doesn’t just make music, it makes the people who make the music business

This Friday, Sound City+ in Liverpool unites top music execs. Read Becky Ayres’ op-ed on why it’s the place shaping the next generation of industry leaders.…

CMU Contributors • 02 May 2025

Op-ed: Paul Bonham from the MMF on how Accelerator supports music managers

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Op-Eds • 4 min read

Op-ed: Paul Bonham from the MMF on how Accelerator supports music managers

Everyone knows a talented independent music manager in need of support. Help is at hand via the MMF's Accelerator Programme, supported by YouTube Music…

CMU Contributors • 20 Feb 2025

Op-ed: Dorothea Thompson of Bray & Krais on the Morrissey + Marr trademark tensions

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Op-Eds • 3 min read

Op-ed: Dorothea Thompson of Bray & Krais on the Morrissey + Marr trademark tensions

After Morrissey and Johnny Marr had a public set-to about the trademark THE SMITHS, Dorothea Thompson takes a look at the ins and outs of trademark registration and how to sort things out…

CMU Contributors • 23 Oct 2024

Op-ed: Jonathan Coote of Bray & Krais on AI and fair use

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Op-Eds • 5 min read

Op-ed: Jonathan Coote of Bray & Krais on AI and fair use

As the Suno and Udio lawsuits make their way through the courts, the fundamental issue in the cases is likely to be whether the 'fair use' defence can be successfully run for the training of AI tools on copyright works. Jonathan Coote examines the issue in more detail…

CMU Contributors • 03 Sep 2024

Op-ed: Cyanite CEO Markus Schwarzer on why keywords still matter for music data

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Op-Eds • 7 min read

Op-ed: Cyanite CEO Markus Schwarzer on why keywords still matter for music data

Markus Schwarzer, CEO and co-founder of Cyanite argues that however powerful search algorithms become, keywords remain a fundamental part of the toolkit for catalogue management, acquisitions and marketing…

CMU Contributors • 28 Aug 2024