CMU | the music business explained (Page 11)

Drake’s Super Bowl gripes in amended lawsuit show defamation action is really an attack on Kendrick Lamar’s success, says Universal

“I just don't understand how that can be fair use”, says judge in Meta AI trial

Pressure mounts for Universal Music Group’s $775 million Downtown acquisition as MEP highlights UMG’s “unprecedented control” of music ecosystem

Suno AI’s faulty guardrails mean its ‘ReMi’ lyric model will spit out entire lyrical works with basic prompting

Did Ticketmaster’s UK boss Andrew Parsons mislead MPs at a select committee hearing?

With the US record industry officially in recession can superpremium and superfans really save the major labels from streaming’s slowdown?

Record industry’s modest growth should make other industries jealous says IFPI boss, as labels weigh in on growth opportunities and AI threats

Trump must “weigh in” on AI copyright debate and pressure “less innovative countries” on copyright rules, says OpenAI

Everyone’s making loads of money but don’t point the finger at us if you’re not, says Spotify’s updated Loud & Clear

Andrew Tate course on ‘pimping’ and exploiting women remains on Spotify as petition passes 25,000 signatures

Universal will spend billions to dominate emerging markets, says Grainge during Q4 earnings call as major sets out its “eat the world” strategies

Liverpool “new heart of music business” says Sound City as major label execs and industry heavyweights head north

Live Nation boss dismissive of streaming platforms’ superfan ambitions as company reports record year

Spotify wants to be “the best in the world at building AI products” and is focused on “accelerated execution”... but still no super-premium launch

Judge throws out MLC’s audiobooks bundle lawsuit, says Spotify can keep cutting songwriter royalties through its “cynical trick”

Universal Music’s new Spotify deal could be a knock-out blow for streaming platform’s audiobook bundling trick

Universal put “corporate greed” before Drake’s safety, says defamation lawsuit filed over Kendrick Lamar diss track

Beware the “wolf under the cape” in Universal’s Downtown land grab, warns Beggars boss as IMPALA calls for regulators to block the deal

EU AI Act can only provide a “temporary fix” to the “darker aspect” of AI’s “profound disruption” to creative industries says open letter

AI generated music will suck €4 billion a year away from music creators by 2028 says CISAC

Village People founder loves Trump using YMCA, but hates people calling it a gay anthem

Executives from BMG, Absolute Label Services, Mahogany Music, Punch Records and more to join award winning female entrepreneurs in Liverpool as first Sound City+ 2025 speakers unveiled

AIF makes desperate call for government to “step up, and step up now” to get festivals through “devastating period”, as MVT launches new Liveline fund

New AI transparency proposal in US Congress will “pave the way” for creator compensation says ASCAP boss

SXSW ditches weapons sponsors to burnish brand - so why won’t it ditch its ties to Saudi Arabia?

SXSW London could disrupt delicately balanced music ecosystem and should reconsider its date

Cardi B • 3 min read

Cardi B beat theft accusers forgot to register composition with US Copyright Office, says Atlantic

Atlantic Records wants a lawsuit that says Cardi B’s ‘Enough (Miami)’ ripped off an earlier track dismissed, because the earlier work wasn’t registered with the US Copyright Office, and an amended lawsuit trying to circumvent the registration issue by making a state law claim is invalid…

Chris Cooke • 17 Mar 2025

CMU Selects • 2 min read

CMU Selects - last week’s standout releases

Last week’s releases spanned the full spectrum - from club anthems to a final transmission from an icon. Whether you were looking to dance, reflect or get lost in the noise, here’s what stood out.…

Kaya Robertson • 17 Mar 2025

Iggy Azalea • 3 min read

Iggy Azalea slams Universal Music as “criminals” and the “scummiest company” which “actively takes advantage” of artists

Iggy Azalea is involved in a dispute with Universal Music over millions in allegedly unpaid royalties. She says she’ll be fine because she can afford lawyers, but the record company “does this to so many artists” who can’t afford to fight, which means too often “they get away with this behaviour”…

Chris Cooke • 17 Mar 2025

Karol G • 2 min read

Reggaeton singer Karol G accused of beat theft on 2022 track ‘Gatúbela’

Reggaeton star Karol G has been accused of ripping off an existing beat when making her track ‘Gatúbela’. Beatmaker Alfr3d Beats reckons it was ‘Gatúbela’ producer DJ Maff who accessed his beat on YouTube and then used it without permission, alleging that he admitted as much in an Instagram exchange…

Chris Cooke • 14 Mar 2025

OpenAI • 6 min read

Trump must “weigh in” on AI copyright debate and pressure “less innovative countries” on copyright rules, says OpenAI

OpenAI has asked Donald Trump to stand up for the fair use principle which it believes allows it to use existing content in its AI training without the permission of rightsholders. It also wants Trump to put pressure on countries where copyright rules restrict AI training, which will include the UK…

Chris Cooke • 14 Mar 2025

Horizon Future Leaders • 4 min read

🌅 Horizon Future Leaders - Daniele Yandel

As part of our Horizon Future Leaders series of interviews, we are connecting with the music industry’s next generation of leaders to gather candid advice and insights into their career journeys. This week, we caught up with Daniele Yandel, Senior Manager Of Member Operations at Merlin.…

Horizon Music Jobs • 14 Mar 2025

Sony Music • 2 min read

University Of Southern California sued over uncleared music in sporty TikTok posts

Another lawsuit has been filed over the uncleared use of music in TikTok and Instagram videos, because brands are not covered by the platforms’ general music licences. This time Sony is suing the University Of Southern California which used unlicensed tracks in videos promoting its sports teams…

Chris Cooke • 13 Mar 2025

R Kelly • 3 min read

Defamation lawsuit filed by former R Kelly assistant over Lifetime documentary fails because ‘Good Morning America’ appearance made her a public figure

US broadcaster Lifetime was sued for defamation by a former PA to R Kelly, who claimed its ‘Surviving R Kelly’ programme portrayed her in a “sinister and defamatory light”. However, a judge has dismissed the case, claiming that the PA failed to demonstrate that Lifetime acted with “actual malice”…

Chris Cooke • 13 Mar 2025

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Kara-Lis Coverdale

Born in Burlington, Canada, with Estonian roots, composer Kara-Lis Coverdale has a way of making electronic music feel deeply human. On her latest single, ‘Daze’, Coverdale channels the unpredictability of shifting air currents into sound…

Kaya Robertson • 13 Mar 2025

Spotify • 6 min read

Everyone’s making loads of money but don’t point the finger at us if you’re not, says Spotify’s updated Loud & Clear

Spotify has updated its Loud & Clear website with lots of stats for 2024, including that it paid the music industry more than $10 billion last year. Spotify also uses Loud & Clear to counter negative narratives about streaming, and the updates in that domain are just as interesting as the stats…

Chris Cooke • 12 Mar 2025

BPI • 5 min read

UK recorded music market hits “decade of continuous growth” as streaming revenue breaks £1 billion barrier

UK record industry trade group BPI has published its annual stats pack revealing that the sector made more than £1 billion from streaming in 2024, with total wholesale revenues topping £1.49 billion. However, when inflation is factored it, there is still some way to go to match pre-digital levels…

Sam Taylor • 12 Mar 2025

UBEM • 3 min read

Brazilian music publisher trade body must respond to antitrust concerns this week

Legal experts in Brazil say that an investigation into the role of Brazilian music publishing body UBEM in negotiating licensing deals for its members could have major implications for mechanical rights licensing in the country. UBEM must respond to Brazil’s competition regulator by this weekend…

Chris Cooke • 12 Mar 2025

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