Providing an essential overview of key topics, developments and debates across the music business, including stats, strategies and current trends, the CMU Masterclass sessions are a great way to keep up to date or refresh your knowledge of the music business.
Click through to see the full schedule and book your place at our early bird rate of £59 inc VAT per session, or £299 inc VAT for all eight masterclass sessions.
The CMU Masterclass sessions are delivered live on Zoom Webinars, and are then available on-demand through CMU's learning platform.
Our masterclass Music Copyright In 2024 provides an overview of key trends and developments in music copyright, and will bring you fully up to speed on how music rights are monetised, protected and traded in 2024.
We'll also review some of the key controversies in music copyright, including the current state of affairs for copyright and AI, as well as the 'song theft' cases that have followed since 2015's landmark 'Blurred Lines' ruling.
Whatever your role in the music industry, this masterclass will ensure that you have a clear understanding of current developments in copyright.
What this session will cover
Key music rights revenue streams
Artists, songwriters and their business partners monetise their music rights in a number of different ways. For the industry at large, streaming is now the biggest revenue generator, but for some artists and labels, vinyl and CD are still a key part of the business.
Other creators and catalogue owners generate decent income from sync and production music, or broadcast and public performance. And on the songs side, there is still some money to be made from sheet music and lyrics.
In this masterclass, we will run through each of the music right revenue streams, presenting the latest stats and reviewing current trends.
We'll explain how the different revenues work in practical terms, including when direct and collective licensing is employed, and how the money flows through the system.
You'll also learn why some revenue streams are more lucrative on the recordings side than the songs side - and how good data is key to ensuring you get paid everytime music is played.
The Copyright Obligations Of AI Platforms
AI was a big talking point in 2023 of course, and - for the music industry - a big part of the conversation was copyright.
There is a disagreement between the industry and the tech sector regarding the copyright obligations of AI companies which train generative AI models with existing content. As a taster of our specific masterclass on AI, we will help you understand the controversy, and will run through the lobbying and litigation that is seeking to solve the dispute.
At the core of that dispute are copyright exceptions or - in the context of US law - the concept of fair use. We'll explain what that means and will consider how countries in Europe may respond if it transpires that AI companies can rely on exceptions to make use of copyright protected works without licence in at least some jurisdictions elsewhere in the world.
The Evolution Of Music Piracy
We don't talk so much about music piracy anymore, yet in the IFPI's 2023 'Engaging With Music' study nearly 29% of those surveyed confirmed they still access music from unlicensed sources. 20% use unlicensed mobile apps. 26% stream-ripping platforms.
Stream-ripping in particular has become a key target for those seeking to combat music piracy. In this section we will explain the legal arguments employed against stream-ripping, in both Europe and the US, and we'll run through some of the key cases that have set important precedents.
A key anti-piracy tactic today is web-blocking, in those countries where web-block injunctions are available to copyright owners. In recent years the music industry has been seeking to secure web-blocks against a wider variety of digital platforms, with mixed success. We'll explain why and what that involves.
Whatever your role is in managing, monetising or utilising music rights, this session will give you a solid understanding of how creators and catalogue owners seek to protect their copyrights online and the legal options available to them.
Song Theft Cases: ‘Blurred Lines’ to ‘Thinking Out Loud’
When, in 2015, a US jury concluded that Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' infringed the copyright in Marvin Gaye's 'Got to Give It Up', some argued that a dangerous precedent had been set that could result in songwriters being found liable for copyright infringement if a new song merely shared a ‘vibe' with an earlier work.
There have certainly been plenty of lawsuits filed since then in which the writers of new hits are accused of ripping off old songs. However, in the main the courts - in the UK and the US - have set the bar relatively high for proving liability in these cases.
In this section we'll explain the key elements of these disputes and what precedents more recent judgements have set, including in the two big Ed Sheeran legal battles over 'Shape Of You' in the UK and 'Thinking Out Loud' in the US.
You'll also learn how some songwriters and their business partners are now seeking to protect themselves from future claims, better documenting their songwriting processes and even licensing arguable interpolations where there are similarities with earlier hits.
Click through to see our other CMU Masterclass sessions 👇
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Other sessions include:
- The Music Business in 2024
- Music Streaming In 2024
- Music + AI In 2024
- Economics Of Streaming: Debates & Controversies
- Economics Of Streaming: Money & Allocation
- Economics Of Streaming: Data & Transparency
- Economics Of Streaming: Rights & Innovation