CMU | the music business explained (Page 13)

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

Tidal • 1 min read

Tidal to make up to a quarter of its employees redundant

Having laid off about 10% of its workforce late last year, streaming service Tidal is about to instigate a more significant downsizing, with up to a quarter of its 400 employees facing redundancy. This was announced to staff by Jack Dorsey, CEO of parent company Block, yesterday…

Chris Cooke • 31 Oct 2024

Budget 2024 • 8 min read

NTIA lashes out against minimum wage increase for hospitality sector workers as music industry comments on the budget’s impact

If you thought you’d managed to tune out the endless droning of budget coverage and analysis, think again. CMU tells you (almost) everything you need to know about this year’s budget, announced yesterday by the UK government…

Sam Taylor • 31 Oct 2024

CMU Approved • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: JAGGED BAPTIST CLUB

LA band JAGGED BAPTIST CLUB masterfully traverse the chaotic intersection of abrasive grit and catchy hooks. Their latest single, ‘Blow Dry Nation’, strips away any pretense of polish, embracing a lo-fi, aggressive ethos that demands to be heard loud…

Kaya Robertson • 31 Oct 2024

Kanye West • 1 min read

Adidas draws line under Kanye dispute with “no money going either way”

A two year legal dispute between Adidas and Kanye West has come to an end. The sportswear brand canceled its incredibly profitable partnership with West in 2022 in response to his anti semitic rants. There has been legal wrangling ever since, but Adidas’s CEO says a settlement has now been reached…

Chris Cooke • 30 Oct 2024

Hybe • 3 min read

Court rejects Min Hee-jin’s attempt to get Ador top job back, as HYBE boss forced to apologise for dissing rivals

HYBE is hoping it can put its dispute with Ador founder Min Hee-jin behind it after a court dismissed an injunction as part of her bid to be reinstated as CEO. But that seems unlikely. Meanwhile an internal HYBE document that is disparaging of rival agencies’ artists is causing controversy…

Chris Cooke • 30 Oct 2024

Artificial Intelligence • 2 min read

Music industry warns of AI “malpractices” on an industrial scale, says EU AI Act must “be made meaningful” to safeguard creatives

The EU AI Act was welcomed by the music industry earlier this year because of what it says about copyright and transparency. But how useful the act is will depend on how it is implemented. To that end, the music industry has called on EU lawmakers to ensure the new rules are “made meaningful”…

Chris Cooke • 30 Oct 2024

Live industry news including ticketing, venues, festivals and more • 3 min read

Artists call for government to implement ticketing levy to support grassroots live music, but live industry split on issue

Earlier this year, UK MPs said that the live music industry should launch a new levy on tickets for large-scale shows to support the grassroots community, and if it didn’t the government should introduce a statutory levy. The FAC and MU wants to make sure that’s still on the agenda…

Chris Cooke • 29 Oct 2024

DistroKid • 2 min read

DistroKid’s face-off with employee union over plans to fire support team and move jobs overseas

DistroKid “preached of doing right by their artists and their employees” in the past, but are now laying off 50% of their unionised employees in the US to move their jobs overseas. This is according to the DistroKid union, which says 37 employees have now been put on “administrative leave”…

Chris Cooke • 29 Oct 2024

Oasis • 2 min read

Oasis promoters take action against touts, will cancel more than 50,000 scalped tickets

Promoters reckon they have found 50,000 tickets for next year’s Oasis shows being touted on the resale platforms - now they plan to cancel those tickets and put them back on sale on Ticketmaster. Though Viagogo says it will continue to allow the touted tickets to be sold on its platform…

Chris Cooke • 29 Oct 2024

Freak Slug • 1 min read

🎧 Approved: Freak Slug

Freak Slug is a moniker that perfectly embodies the curious, offbeat charm of Xenya Genovese’s sound, capturing both whimsy and bite. Her debut album kicks off with the single ‘Spells’, a prowling track driven by a serpentine bassline and a nervy electronic pulse…

Kaya Robertson • 29 Oct 2024

Artificial Intelligence • 3 min read

Hollywood studios say AI training opt-out critical, Singapore must clarify copyright rules

The US Motion Picture Association has made a submission to a US government consultation on foreign trade barriers. It asks the government to put pressure on countries that have or want copyright exceptions for AI training, insisting copyright owners must always have an opt out…

Chris Cooke • 28 Oct 2024

Superstruct Entertainment • 1 min read

CVC takes stake in KKR owned Superstruct Entertainment

Earlier this year, when Providence announced it was selling festivals company Superstruct Entertainment, rival equity firm CVC was tipped as a possible bidder. In the end another investment outfit, KKR, bought Superstruct, but CVC has now acquired a stake in the business…

Chris Cooke • 28 Oct 2024