CMU | the music business explained (Page 129)

Slipknot.com owner hires domain name specialist to fight back against band’s cybersquatting claims

“Misleading rhetoric and “deceitful buzzwords” not good enough, says Council Of Music Makers in call for creator consent, control and compensation in AI deals

Axing of controversial EBacc is a “step in the right direction” for music education says Ed Sheeran

Former Guns N Roses manager sues band over autobiography blocker clause

Judgement in Getty’s UK lawsuit against Stability “underscores growing gap” between copyright and tech, says leading lawyer

Spotify’s streaming fraud initiatives are “nothing more than window dressing” says rapper RBX as he files class action lawsuit

Streaming services don’t want French language quotas in Québec

Universal has settled its lawsuit with Udio, and signed AI deals with Udio and Stability

Spotify questions MLC’s “motivations” in pursuing audiobook bundling dispute lawsuit

Lizzo is being sued over an uncleared sample - on a track she never released

Viagogo is unfair, opaque and violates EU law, consumer group tells regulator

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

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

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

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

Drake vows to appeal after judge throws out defamation lawsuit against Universal

High profile songwriters express concern about PRS transparency, accuracy and admin costs

Anthropic’s own guardrails revive full copyright lawsuit from litigious music publishers

Suno tells court to reject stream-ripping “gambit” by major labels in AI legal battle

As indie labels ramp up campaign for EU to block the UMG x Downtown merger, a French music lawyer says concerns around data are “fantasy or paranoia”

As FT says major labels are close to “landmark” AI licensing deals, is a new battle royale going to kick off within the music industry?

No one seems to know if Kneecap are still banned from Canada - or whether they were ever actually banned at all

Don’t say gruesome twosome: Ek steps sideways at Spotify to make way for not one but two new CEOs

‘Something Inside’ songwriter goes legal over Tommy Robinson’s use of his anti-apartheid anthem

Donald Trump signs executive order “saving TikTok”

Tabloid claims that Dua Lipa sacked agent over Glasto Kneecap letter are “categorically false” and “deliberately inflammatory”

Major labels add piracy claims to Suno lawsuit after $1.5 billion Anthropic settlement

Live Nation colludes with ticket touts, says US government as it launches legal action

Cornwall Council will hold meeting about ‘safety risks’ of Bob Vylan’s August Boardmasters performance - even through there weren’t any

Spotify finally adds lossless audio to premium

Anthropic will pay authors $1.5 billion to settle AI copyright case

Universal’s Downtown deal must be blocked by regulators before “cultural diversity is weakened irreversibly” says Dutch indie label group president

As EU hits pause on UMG Downtown investigation after “parties fail to provide important info”, Downtown boss whines about “misinformation”

More upheaval at Warner Music as UK label chiefs will report directly to US execs

Yet another senior exec out at Warner Music as UK boss Tony Harlow quits

Billion dollar piracy win for majors “defies common law and common sense” says Cox

Court dismisses Dave Rowntree’s black box lawsuit against PRS

Supertramp songwriter must continue to share publishing royalties with bandmates, US appeals court concludes

FTC sues ticket touting business that claims it is endorsed by Ticketmaster

Drake’s claims are “farcical” says Lucian Grainge as defamation battle rumbles on

Drake wants to trawl through Papa Grainge’s emails in ‘Not Like Us’ libel battle

Sony sues Napster over $9.2 million in unpaid royalties

Spotify age-checks could result in accounts being deleted, but only if you’re twelve

Increasing number of artists join Spotify boycott over CEO’s AI weapon investments

If China blocks TikTok deal app will “go dark” says US Commerce Secretary, but hints deal “coming soon”

Blackstone bails on consortium bidding to buy TikTok US - will a deal still be done by September deadline?

Anthropic’s ‘fair use’ win in AI copyright case could turn into a trillion dollar loss

No copyright exception for AI training in European law, says new report

Full scale anticompetition investigation on the cards after UMG’s Virgin Music fails to allay EU fears over Downtown merger

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?

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

One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 3 min read

⏩ One Liners: Kendrick Lamar, Jess Glynne, Cradle Of Filth + more

Seeker x Mark Morrison, TikTok x CTS Eventim deals; Island, Concord, Virgin Music appointments; Astroworld trial update; MMF Accelerator programme; Jess Glynne BRIT Billion Award; Cradle Of Filth, Cavalera tour dates; new music from Kendrick Lamar, Jon Hopkins, La Luz, Hamish Hawk…

Andy Malt • 01 May 2024

Record Store Day • 2 min read

Taylor Swift and Record Store Day push UK vinyl sales reach highest level since 1994

Over 300,000 vinyl albums and singles were sold in the UK last week. Taylor Swift and Record Store Day created a spike that pushed sales figures to their highest in three decades. This “shows physical music can stand tall alongside streaming”, say distributor Drew Hill…

Andy Malt • 01 May 2024

AI • 3 min read

MPs call on UK government to create “a pro-creative industries AI bill”

The All-Party Parliamentary Group On Music has published a report on music and AI making a number of recommendations to government. That includes a “a pro-creative industries AI bill” the clarifies the copyright obligations of AI companies and introduces a new personality right for artists…

Chris Cooke • 01 May 2024

CMU Approved • 1 min read

Approved: Leif Coffield

Set to play a showcase at Wide Days in Edinburgh tonight, Leif Coffield’s latest project sees him posthumously collaborating with his great uncle Des Coffield on until recently undiscovered music that he wrote in the 1970s…

Kaya Robertson • 01 May 2024

CMU Approved • 1 min read

Approved: Grayling

With a showcase performance lined up at Wide Days in Edinburgh tonight, Grayling is also preparing for the release of their latest EP later this month. From her beginnings as a busker at Loch Lomond, Grayling has become a respected figure on the Scottish music scene…

Kaya Robertson • 01 May 2024

CMU Approved • 1 min read

Approved: The Joshua Hotel

Set to play the Wide Days festival in Edinburgh tonight, The Joshua Hotel play smart, summery guitar pop that masks lyrics with a darker edge. Currently preparing to release their debut album this summer, the band are definitely one you can expect to hear a lot more from in the near future…

Andy Malt • 01 May 2024

Deezer • 1 min read

Deezer sees some growth in first quarter of 2024

Deezer has published its figures for the first quarter of 2024, which show that its average revenue per user is better than Spotify’s and its partnerships are booming. It still obviously remains one of the smaller players in streaming, but it will nonetheless be happy with the latest stats…

Sam Taylor • 01 May 2024

CMU Approved • 1 min read

Approved: Canty

Set to release his new EP ‘hahahahahahahahahahahahaha’ next month, Canty has put out the first track from it, ‘hahaha’. As neither name suggests, the song is a downbeat ode to accepting your fate but hoping it will be a good one…

Andy Malt • 30 Apr 2024

One Liners - quickfire news from the music business • 2 min read

⏩ One Liners: Billie Eilish, Co-op Live, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs + more

IMRO x Audoo, Budde Music x Billy Mann; Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, Steven Tyler legal updates; Co-op Live opening date; South Asian music accelerator Lila launches; Billie Eilish, Max Richter, Overmono shows; new music from Eivør, Patrick Higgins, Faux Real…

Andy Malt • 30 Apr 2024

We Are FSTVL • 2 min read

We Are FSTVL 2024 cancelled over health and safety concerns

This year’s We Are FSTVL has been cancelled due to health and safety concerns, with recent high rainfall leaving the park where it was due to take place unable to “host the physical demands of the event’s equipment and audience”. Its “heartbroken” organisers have vowed to return in 2025…

Andy Malt • 30 Apr 2024

TikTok • 3 min read

EU TikTok ban “is not excluded” says European Commission President, as FCC Commissioner says US ban won’t be scuppered in the courts

TikTok is embarking on a court battle in the US to try to block the recently passed sell-or-be-banned law. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr predicts those efforts will fail. Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says a possible future EU TikTok ban can’t be entirely ruled out…

Chris Cooke • 30 Apr 2024

Wide Days • 1 min read

Wide Days 2024 kicks off in Edinburgh tomorrow

This year’s Wide Days music convention in Scotland gets started tomorrow, with a wide range of events - including one on the opportunities offered by AI featuring CMU’s Sam Taylor…

CMU • 30 Apr 2024